A rare letter written by Albert Einstein in 1939, urging a Jewish official in New York's Department of Welfare to save Jewish refugees from the Holocaust in Europe, is being auctioned this week in Los Angeles. The letter, dated June 10, 1939, and written on Einstein's personal stationery from Princeton University, is addressed to Miss Sadye Klein from the Department of Welfare's Veteran Relief Division, who worked with refugees in New York.
In the letter, Einstein emphasizes the importance of solidarity and mutual aid among the Jewish people. "The power of resistance which has enabled the Jewish people to survive for thousands of years has been to a large extent on traditions of mutual helpfulness," wrote the Nobel laureate. He further stressed, "We have no other means of self-defense than our solidarity, and the knowledge that the cause for which we are suffering is a momentous and sacred one."
The letter, along with the original envelope, is being auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Auctions with an initial bid of $20,000. This auction comes in the context of other Einstein memorabilia fetching high prices in recent years. A similar letter by Einstein was sold five years ago for nearly $135,000.
Einstein's appeal for aid to Jewish refugees was not an isolated incident. He wrote several such letters to prominent Jewish figures across the United States, including notable Hollywood talent agent William Morris and senior figures in the department store chain Arnold Constable and Co. Just a week before penning this letter, Einstein had expressed similar sentiments at the Jewish-Palestine Pavilion at the World's Fair in New York.
The letter provides a glimpse into Einstein's humanitarian efforts during a critical period in history. Having emigrated to the United States in 1933 to escape Nazi persecution, Einstein became a resident scholar at Princeton University. His position was notable, as during this period, most American Ivy League universities had few, if any, Jewish faculty or students due to Jewish quotas.
This auction is part of a trend of Einstein's personal items and writings attracting significant interest and high prices. Last year, a rare letter he wrote about the creation of the world was auctioned in Pennsylvania with an initial bid of $125,000. In another instance, two notes containing Einstein's "happiness theory" were sold at an auction in Jerusalem for $1.3 million.
The 1939 letter now up for auction not only represents a piece of history but also serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing importance of solidarity and mutual aid in times of crisis. As the world continues to grapple with issues of refugees and persecution, Einstein's words from over 80 years ago remain remarkably relevant and powerful.
* Ynet contributed to this article.