..."EinsteinÕs wife Elsa donated the manuscript to the Hebrew University on the occasion of its opening in 1925 and in a letter he thanked her for doing so. A founder of the university and a member of its board, he donated all his papers to it upon his death.

And there, outside the room where the theory of general relativity is on display, are a few more of his papers, including a postcard he sent to his mother in 1919 after a British astronomer confirmed during an eclipse one of EinsteinÕs key predictions. It too offers a poignant mix of the celestial and personal.

ÒDear Mother!Ó it begins, ÒToday some happy news. Lorentz telegraphed me that the British expeditions have verified the deflection of light by the sun.Ó So sorry, he adds, to hear that you are not feeling well...".NYT