To Be a Jew

To be a Jew...means, first of all, to acknowledge and follow in practice those fundamentals in humaneness laid down in the Bible -- fundamentals without which no sound and happy community can exist.

from a speech given in NYC in 1938, as cited by Devra Newberger Speregen in

Albert Einstein: The Jewish Man Behind the Theory

The pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, an almost fanatical love of justice, and the desire for personal independence - these are the features of the Jewish tradition which make me thank my lucky stars that I belong to.

1934, as cited by Devra Newberger Speregen in

Albert Einstein: The Jewish Man Behind the Theory

Whatever there is of God and goodness in the universe, it must work itself out and express itself through us. We can not stand aside and let God do it.

1949. Einstein Archives. as cited by Devra Newberger Speregen in

Albert Einstein: The Jewish Man Behind the Theory