l x v i I N T R O D U C T I O N T O V O L U M E 1 3 scene at the Western Wall: “Then down to the temple wall (Wailing Wall), where dull ethnic brethren with their faces to the wall bend their bodies to and fro in a swaying motion. Pitiful sight of people with a past but without a present.” He found the Old City “very dirty” and “teeming with the most disparate of saints and races, noisy, and orientally alien” (Doc. 379, [p. 34–34v]). The following day, the Einsteins undertook an excursion by car to the Dead Sea via Jericho, with Ginzberg and Sir Herbert’s “capable and naturally earthy, cheer- ful” daughter-in-law, Hadassah Samuel-Grasovsky. That same day, Einstein re- ceived a cable from Weizmann welcoming him to Palestine (Doc. 427). On 5 February, the official Zionist program of the tour began. Einstein was to be shown the major achievements of the modern Jewish community in Palestine. He was first welcomed by Ussishkin at the Zionist executive offices, followed by a tour of the recently built garden suburbs of Jerusalem. He then visited the National Jew- ish Library, where he was reunited with its director, Hugo Bergmann, whom he knew from Prague, and “who operates there ably but without a sense of humor.” A tea party was held in Einstein’s honor in the early evening at Ussishkin’s home, at- tended by prominent Jewish dignitaries and senior Zionist and British officials. The next day, Einstein toured the Bezalel Art Academy and attended a luncheon at Government House with Christian experts on Middle Eastern archaeology. In the afternoon, he was officially welcomed by the Jewish community of Jerusalem at the Lämel school. The entire student body from the Jewish schools lined the street. On Einstein’s second visit to the Old City on 7 February, during which he toured the Christian quarter, he was accompanied by Colonel Kisch of the Zionist Execu- tive, who recollected that they discussed “some of the intricacies of the Arab ques- tion” and Ussishkin’s attempts to get Einstein to settle in Jerusalem.[42] Einstein made it clear to Kisch that he had no intention of doing so. In the afternoon, the highlight of Einstein’s tour of Palestine took place. He de- livered the Hebrew University’s inaugural lecture at the future site of the university on Mount Scopus. In dramatic fashion, Ussishkin called on Einstein to “[m]ount the platform which has been waiting for you for two thousand years!” Einstein be- gan with a greeting in Hebrew, which he enunciated “with difficulty,” and ex- pressed regret at not being able to lecture in “the language of his people.”[43] He then proceeded to speak in French for ninety minutes, providing an outline of the theory of relativity. The lecture was held at the British police school on Mount Sco- pus. The hall was festively decorated with Zionist and British insignia. Alongside the Jewish national flag and the Union Jack hung portraits of both Theodor Herzl and Sir Herbert. The celebratory event was attended by senior officials from the mandate, Zionist officials, Jewish and Christian dignitaries, foreign consuls, mem-