Remembering Arnold (Michael) Eisenstein
June 1, 2021
(March 10, 1944 ~ April 23, 2021)
Arnold (Michael) Eisenstein was born March 10, 1944 in Chicago, Illinois, and spent most of his life in San Antonio. Preceded in death by his parents, Harry and Mary Kadish Eisenstein of San Antonio, he is survived by his son Aaric Eisenstein of Austin; daughter Gwen Kohn (James) of Dallas; daughter Michelle Moses-Eisenstein of Rockville, MD.; brother Dr. Abram Eisenstein (Yolanda) of Santa Fe; sister Ayn Eisenstein Phillips of Los Angeles; niece Jennifer Ironstone of Tucson, and nephew Adam Eisenstein of Dallas.
Gifted musically, Michael was blessed with a beautiful baritone voice and both played the piano and composed new music. He combined his love of music with his deep commitment to Judaism, and was mentored as a cantor at Agudas Achim, where he and his family were long-time members. He served as cantorial soloist at Agudas Achim and other synagogues nationwide.
Michael graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School where he was twice a semi-finalist and once a finalist in the National Merit Scholarships, and one of five juniors chosen to take the National Council of English Teachers test. He earned a B.A. at Rice University, an M.A. at the University of Texas at Austin while working as a teaching assistant, and was later accepted into the Ph.D program in mathematics at Columbia University in New York City. He taught mathematics at Concordia Lutheran College, Incarnate Word College, Huston-Tillotson University, St. Edward College in Austin, and San Antonio College. He later worked at Texas Instruments in Dallas. Among other notable achievements, he was a member of Mensa, the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world. Michael published mathematical theorems in academic journals, and made several original contributions to the field of mathematics and philosophy. He was skilled in finding beautiful connections between music, mathematics, Hebrew numerology, and Judaism.
Michael was known for his kindness, humor, and creativity. Friends and family will always remember his advice for a life well lived: Always have something to look forward to; Respect everyone; Maintain a world view that allows you to care about issues beyond yourself.