2021-04-30 Fri

Throughout history, it has been a tradition in much of the world to feature the country’s political leaders on the currency. But in the 21st century, it’s become increasingly common to use banknotes to celebrate a nation’s history.

Albert Einstein, a German-born theoretical physicist, is world-famous for his scientific discoveries. But he was also a political figure, who settled in the United States and became an advocate for Jewish refugees after Adolf Hitler came to power.

It is a lesser-known fact that Einstein was asked to become the president of the new state of Israel in 1952. Einstein, though a supporter of Zionism, turned down the offer, explaining he lacked “both the natural aptitude and the experience to deal properly with people and to exercise official functions.”

However, he was featured on a 1968 banknote of 5 lirot. The most striking feature of this banknote is the famous portrait of theoretical physicist and Nobel Laureate Albert Einstein. The bunker-like building on the back of the 1968-dated Israeli five lirot bill houses an atomic reactor, located in the Soreq Nuclear Research Center near Yavne.

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