D O C U M E N T 4 2 4 N O V E M B E R 1 9 2 6 6 5 1 Published in Schalit 1927, n. p. [123 403]. The edition included versions of the foreword in both the original German and in translation into Yiddish. [1]Dated by reference to the date on which this foreword was solicited by Schalit (see Abs. 660). [2]Einstein seems to have vacillated between two contrasting stances in his views on traditional Jewish intellectual life. At times he praised the long tradition of respect for knowledge among Ger- man Jews prior to emancipation and the richness of contemporary Eastern European Jewish culture. On other occasions he criticized the constrained worldview of ghetto Jewry (see “Assimilation and Anti-Semitism,” 3 April 1920 [Vol. 7, Doc. 34] “Professor Einstein on the Proposed Hebrew Univer- sity of Jerusalem,” before 3 April 1921 [Vol. 7, Doc. 56b in Vol. 13] and “On Palestine. Final Ver- sion,” 1 July 1921 [Vol. 7, Doc. 60]). [3]The author had asked Einstein to write a foreword to his planned publication in November 1926. His request was submitted to Einstein by Jakob Grommer, with whom Schalit was acquainted. Schalit claimed that Grommer could vouch for its content and significance (see Abs. 660). According to Gruschka 2007, it was Schalit’s acquaintance with Grommer that led to Einstein’s decision to write the foreword. He also claims that Schalit’s publication was “exceptional” among the works in Yiddish on the theory of relativity owing to its author’s competence and Einstein’s involvement. The fore- word was criticized by the Russian-Jewish philosopher and socialist Chaim Zhitlovski, who claimed that Einstein was arguing that Jewish identity needed to be based on religious practices. According to Zhitlovski, it should be founded instead on the Yiddish language and a Yiddish cultural nationalism (see Gruschka 2007, pp. 318, 325, and 328). 424. To Landes-Wohlfahrts- und Jugendamt Berlin [Berlin, after 30 November 1926][1] Bezug nehmend auf Ihre Anfrage vom 30. XI.[2] teile ich Ihnen ein Thema mit, das sich vielleicht zur Bearbeitung eignen würde: „Durch eine 1910 erschienene Arbeit ist von Herbert Levi (Verl. Julius Springer 1910)[3] auf Anregung von Prof Nernst[4] hin mit Erfolg versucht worden, die Ab- weichung der Zustandsgleichung von Dämpfen (speziell Wasserdampf) vom ide- alen Gasgesetze auf ¢Poly² Bildung von Doppelmolekülen zurückzuführen. Die Berechtigung der Ausgangshypothese soll durch theoretische und experimentelle Untersuchung der Abhängigkeit des thermischen Leitvermögens von ¢Druck² der Dichte geprüft werden.“ ADft. [45 314]. Written at the bottom and verso of Abs. 659. There are perforations for a loose-leaf binder at the left margin of the document. [1]Dated from Abs. 659, to which this document is a reply. [2]Abs. 661. [3]Levy 1910. Presumably, Einstein became interested in Levy’s work when they met at the home of Rudolf Kayser (see Abs. 657). [4]Walther Nernst. „Es solleine Entscheidung der Frage versucht werden, ob an den Abweichungen vom Gesetze der übereinsteimmenden Zustände, insbesondere bei Wasserstoff und