Letter from Albert Einstein to Boris Drasin dated May 14, 1936

In this letter, Albert Einstein declines an invitation to attend a celebration at Jersey Homesteads. The letter is addressed to Boris Drasin. Jersey Homesteads (later Roosevelt) was established in the 1930s as an agro-industrial cooperative community. It was established specifically for urban Jewish garment workers, many of whom had emigrated from Europe. The Jersey Homesteads settlers devised this proposal to protect their rights in the community, and to foster better communication between the settlers and the government. They organized the Jersey Homesteads Protective Association to represent the interests of all the settlers. The Association's purpose was four-fold: to safeguard the interest of the settlers; to conduct all negotiations with the government on matters that concern the Homestead; to safeguard the interests of every individual settler; and to support and help the development of the cooperative character of the settlement. The administration consisted of fifteen members who were elected at the annual meeting with all the members, and settlers were eligible for membership when they passed a government inspection