I N T R O D U C T I O N T O V O L U M E 1 4 l x x i i i es at Kaunas-Kovno, but offered only lukewarm support for a rival initiative by a Polish Jewish financier for the establishment of a Jewish university in Danzig (Abs. 108, Doc. 248). Anti-Semitism also continued to preoccupy Einstein. In an article most likely written in the summer of 1923, yet not published until 1934, he elaborated on its manifestation in academic settings. He thought that, since anti-Semitism was caused by irrational psychological forces, Jews themselves should be aware of their own “differentness,” should “emancipate themselves socially,” and for the most part fulfill their own social needs. To this end he advocated the establishment of separate Jewish student associations that should, however, refrain from adopting the customs of the dueling fraternities. Rather, such associations should live ac- cording to “our own way” (Doc. 80). A few months later, he seemed to lay some of the blame for anti-Semitism with the Jews themselves. In a letter to an unknown correspondent, he maintained that “unostentatious and inconspicuous appearance in public, not just of men, but also of women,” would serve as a good prophylactic against anti-Semitism (Doc. 128). Einstein continued to be involved in the drawn-out issue of the disposition of the Günzberg library of rare Jewish books and manuscripts, which the Zionist Organ- isation considered to have purchased on behalf of the Hebrew University, but which the Soviet government refused to release. In 1923, and again in 1924, Einstein ap- pealed to Mikhail N. Pokrovsky, the Soviet deputy people’s commissar for educa- tion, to convey the library to its rightful owner (Abs. 94, Doc. 232). His offer of $15,000 for the library was repeatedly rejected by Pokrovsky (Abs. 396, Docs. 301, 403), who by 1925 also insisted that it would have to be replaced with a library of equal value, since the Soviet Union owed this compensation to its Jewish popula- tion (Abs. 691). During this time, there were also renewed attempts to convince Einstein to visit the Soviet Union. In mid-September 1923, Georg Count von Arco, co-founder of the Society of Friends of the New Russia, reiterated an invitation by the Soviet gov- ernment, reminding Einstein that he had earlier expressed an interest in becoming acquainted with “the new Russia” but had been too busy at the time. Now, Arco urged Einstein to accompany him and Samuil A. Levitin, director of the Depart- ment for Technical Advanced Training at the Soviet Economic Council, to Russia in October (Doc. 114). Einstein declined again. He was weary of guest tours (Docs. 117, 118, 127). He also declined Abram Ioffe’s invitation to attend a physics conference in Leningrad in September 1924 (Docs. 295, 306). The Soviet Union preoccupied Einstein in other ways. In the summer of 1924, the International Committee on Intellectual Cooperation authorized Einstein and his good friends, Paul Ehrenfest and his wife, Tatiana Ehrenfest-Afanassjewa, to