The truth behind Einstein ‘folklore’: Uncovering the origins of Jewish community on campus
Albert Einstein is widely believed to have played an integral role in the origins of Jewish student life at Princeton in the 1940s. However, a story of the failures of institutional knowledge — and of The Daily Princetonian itself — reveals a much older, more complex foundational history. Thanks to a Princeton senior thesis and the 107-year-old oldest living alum, the real beginnings of Jewish community on campus is coming to light and challenging the dominant narrative.
Albert Einstein is widely believed to have played an integral role in the origins of Jewish student life at Princeton in the 1940s. However, a story of the failures of institutional knowledge — and of The Daily Princetonian itself — reveals a much older, more complex foundational history. Thanks to a Princeton senior thesis and the 107-year-old oldest living alum, the real beginnings of Jewish community on campus is coming to light and challenging the dominant narrative.
