The Ultimate Quotable Einstein by Albert Einstein

In his youth, Einstein did not identify strongly with Jewish culture and religion. His parents were assimilated Jews in southern Germany who had distanced themselves from their Jewish roots and were more interested in the realities of entrepreneurship and making a good living. However, he did receive private religious instruction in Judaism at home and at first embraced it intensely, only to reject it decisively by the age of twelve as his interest in science became stronger. He then declared himself "without religious affiliation. " He "rediscovered" his Jewish roots after moving to Berlin and becoming aware of the prejudicial treatment of eastern European Jews.

This was coincident both with the advent of anti-Semitism and Zionism and with the confirmation of his general theory of relativity in 1919, which brought him worldwide fame. Einstein's Zionism was cultural rather than political. It emphasized the cultural and spiritual renewal of the Jewish people, as opposed to political Zionism, which focused on the establishment of a Jewish state. Still, he supported the creation of Israel as a refuge for Jews because he believed in the power of a community as a cohesive force and felt Jews should have a safe place to study and teach. He favored a two-state solution for Palestine, but realized there was no turning back after the creation of Israel, and late in his life he supported the new state even as he advocated fairness to the Arabs.