June 15, 2023 – Tuesday, June 13th saw the dedication of the Albert Einstein House in the Marie and Jose Mugrabi Building, a new museum and research center to be built adjacent to the Edmond J. Safra Givat Ram campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU).  

At the ceremony, the President of the State of Israel, Isaac Herzog, Hebrew University President Prof. Asher Cohen, and Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion joined museum donor and noted art collector Jose Mugrabi. One of Hebrew University’s founding fathers, Nobel Prize winner Prof. Einstein, bequeathed all of his writings and intellectual property to the university upon his death in 1955 including 80,000 documents.  

The Albert Einstein House in the Marie and Jose Mugrabi Building will be a center for scientific and technological education, with modern display methods, scientific demonstrations, and original documents that showcase Einstein’s tremendous scientific contributions. The distinctive building, designed by the world-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, will highlight the impact of Einstein’s discoveries, his humanitarian and civil rights involvement, as well as his deep commitment to Hebrew University, the State of Israel, and the global Jewish community. Visitors will have an unforgettable experience exploring Einstein’s restored private library and office while browsing through his original documents, including the original theory of relativity and the manuscript containing his world-changing E=mc² equation. 

At the ceremony, President Herzog said, ‏“It is a great pleasure to be addressing you here at ‏the Board of Governors meeting at this great Israeli institution, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. ‏I am especially excited to be here to dedicate the Einstein House. Right here, we are laying the foundations for a vital living archive of the writings of one of the greatest minds in the history of humanity. But we are also dedicating a beautiful building designed by the architect Daniel Libeskind, for a legacy that goes far beyond any one person alone. This is the legacy of human curiosity – ‘holy curiosity’ as Einstein himself put it.”

“The Marie and Jose Mugrabi Einstein House will provide the general public a look at the science of the man who sketched out the path for us and who, a century later, continues to serve us as a model of scientific excellence day after day,” said Hebrew University President Prof. Asher Cohen. “Our task is first and foremost to practice science and produce breakthroughs that will improve the life of all humanity. However, an equally important part of our task is to explain science and make it accessible to large audiences. This is precisely the vision behind the Einstein House.” 

Jose Mugrabi, philanthropist and art collector, said at the ceremony, “We look forward to seeing the wonders that this House will bring to Israel and the rest of the world. The Einstein House represents so much more than a physical space. It will be a center of science and technology for our students, and we are convinced that this place will create a new generation of Einsteins.” He added, “I am so excited to be here tonight and to be associated with Albert Einstein. I feel like the luckiest man in the world.”