download:posterGo to Tool Kit > Frames of MindSelect by:ArtistAuthorQuoteArtistAuthorQuoteMasters SeriesProudly JewishWall of FameMaster tabPoster Commentary"Imagination is more important than knowledge."Albert EinsteinPoster design:Einat PeledCommentary by Dina Muskin Goldberg At first glance, it’s a little hard to believe that Albert Einstein, the ultimate man of knowledge, once said: “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” Yet when thought about carefully, it is clear that knowledge, comprised of facts and data, is finite, while imagination is infinite. Imagination is taking one’s knowledge and going beyond it with experimentation. It is the force that allows one to take chances and risks. With risk comes the possibility of failure. But the greatest success stories come from those who follow their imagination, not just their knowledge. One only need look at the Holocaust and the early State of Israel to understand what Einstein meant. Among the numerous stories recounted by survivors, one usually hears the following: “When we got to the camps a Nazi officer asked if anyone was a tailor. I was a math teacher, but I still raised by hand and was taken out of the line. That is what saved my life.” And so math teachers used their imaginations and became tailors. These same survivors used their imaginations when they arrived in Palestine and took up arms to fight in the War of Independence. They had no knowledge of weapons or combat. What they did have was an imagination that dreamed of a free life in a Jewish homeland and that helped created the State of Israel. The possibility of failure loomed large in front of these survivors. Yet they, like Einstein, understood that imagination was their greatest resource, far greater than knowledge. Dina Muskin Goldberg is the development associate for the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Museum of Tolerance in New York. She graduated with degrees in political science and business from Yeshiva University’s Stern College for Women. Goldberg was an AIPAC Diamond Intern, and organized a Yeshiva University mission to lobby on Capitol Hill. Goldberg was named one of the Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” in 2014, and is currently a Tikvah Fellow. Conversation Guide WHAT DO YOU THINK? 1. Do you agree with Albert Einstein that “Imagination is more important than knowledge?” What else could be more important than “knowledge”? 2. Can you think of any other examples from Jewish history where imagination was more important than knowledge? 3. How can one nurture this concept of imagination in daily life without disconnecting from the “real world” and its demands and constraints? WHAT DO YOU SEE? 1. What are the different ways the artist conveys the power of imagination in this poster? 2. Why do you think the artist chose stargazing as the central image? What other image might have you used? 3. Is “knowledge” represented in this poster? What feelings does the poster evoke for you about imagination and knowledge? Credits Frames of Mind©2015, Einat Peled, Quote: Albert Einstein, Harold Grinspoon Foundation, West Springfield, MA AuthorAlbert Einstein1879-1955Germany, Switzerland, United StatesphysicistAbout Albert Einstein was a brilliant physicist whose theory of relativity transformed our understanding of the universe. Born in Germany and trained in Switzerland, Einstein taught at German universities and was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics in 1921. With the rise of Hitler, Einstein assumed a position at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. He received numerous honorary degrees and awards in recognition of his research and breakthroughs, and published hundreds of scientific and nonscientific works. Einstein was a staunch Zionist and one of the founders of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, ultimately bequeathing his archives to the Hebrew University. Links Biography – Nobel Prize Website Einstein Online Archives Media Who was Albert Einstein? History Channel ArtistEinat PeledIsraelIllustratorDesignerAbout Einat Peled is an Israeli illustrator and designer. She studied graphic design at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, and enjoys painting, drawing, and sketching. Peled’s editorial illustration work has been published in numerous periodicals, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Food and Wine, and Yale Medicine magazine. Her portfolio includes drawings and cover illustrations, as well as packaging and textiles. Links Other Works Quote"Imagination is more important than knowledge."Albert EinsteinContext I believe in intuition and inspiration. At times I feel certain I am right while not knowing the reason. When the exlipse of 1919 confirmed my intuition, I was not in the least surprised. In fact, I would have been astonished had it turned out otherwise. Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution. It is, strictly speaking, a real factor in scientific research. Source Source of quote: Quote used with permission of Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Einstein, Albert, Cosmic Religion: With Other Opinions and Aphorisms. New York: Covici, Friede Inc., 1931, page 97. Hebrew "הדמיון חשוב יותר מהידע." -אלברט איינשטיין Select by Artist Ofra Amit Orit Bergman Nina Duran Asaf Hanuka Frances Jetter Michael Morgenstern Robert Neubecker Einat Peled Rosalyn Schanzer Arnold Schwartzman James Steinberg Jean Claude (J.C.) Suares Select by Author Albert Einstein Anne Frank Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg Harold Grinspoon Franz Kafka Emma Lazarus Rabbi Nachman of Breslav Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso Hannah Senesh Natan Sharansky Select by Quote "A book must be an axe to break the sea frozen inside us." "The whole world is a very narrow bridge. The key is not to be afraid." "How wonderful it is that no one has to wait, but can start right now to gradually change the world!" "Until we are all free . . . none of us are free." "A life without a dream is no life. But a dream without limits is an illusion." "Imagination is more important than knowledge." "Keep two pieces of paper in your pocket at all times. On one: “I am a speck of dust,” and on the other : “The world was created for me.”" "We must believe not only that all people are created equal but also that all peoples are created equal." "At the heart of what it means to be a Jew is to ask questions." "It’s when the winds blow the hardest that you need the deepest roots." "Savor every moment of your life as if this is your last day." "There are stars whose radiance is visible on earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark." Select by Artist Ofra Amit Orit Bergman Nina Duran Asaf Hanuka Frances Jetter Michael Morgenstern Robert Neubecker Einat Peled Rosalyn Schanzer Arnold Schwartzman James Steinberg Jean Claude (J.C.) Suares Select by Author Albert Einstein Anne Frank Rabbi Irving "Yitz" Greenberg Harold Grinspoon Franz Kafka Emma Lazarus Rabbi Nachman of Breslav Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso Hannah Senesh Natan Sharansky Select by Quote "A book must be an axe to break the sea frozen inside us." "It’s when the winds blow the hardest that you need the deepest roots." "At the heart of what it means to be a Jew is to ask questions." "We must believe not only that all people are created equal but also that all peoples are created equal." "Until we are all free . . . none of us are free." "Imagination is more important than knowledge." "Savor every moment of your life as if this is your last day." "There are stars whose radiance is visible on earth though they have long been extinct. There are people whose brilliance continues to light the world though they are no longer among the living. These lights are particularly bright when the night is dark." "The whole world is a very narrow bridge. The key is not to be afraid." "A life without a dream is no life. But a dream without limits is an illusion." "How wonderful it is that no one has to wait, but can start right now to gradually change the world!" "Keep two pieces of paper in your pocket at all times. On one: “I am a speck of dust,” and on the other : “The world was created for me.”"
