Eisenstein, Judith Kaplan

American. Educator and composer and lyricist. Parallel in generation to Miriam Gideon, she was born, September 10, 1909, Sventzian, Lithuania. Daughter of Mordecai M. Kaplan, founder of Reconstructionism. Died February 14, 1996, Bethesda,(Rockeville?) MD. at age 86. Studied at the Institute of Musical Art (forerunner to Julliard). Graduated Columbia, BS, 1928, and Master in Music Education, 1932. Married Ira Eisenstein, 1934. PhD from HUC-JIR, 1966. Taught at HUC-JIR (1966-1979); Also attended Teachers Institute of JTS and taught there 1929-1954. Taught at Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1968-1980 (1978-1981?). Created many teaching materials for her pedagogy and history of Jewish music courses. Publications include Gateway to Jewish Song (1937); Songs of Childhood(1955); and Heritage of Music: The Music of the Jewish People (1972, 1990). Many of her English translations of Hebrew songs became well-known standards sung by Jewish children throughout the US. In addition, Eisenstein composed several works including cantatas (starting in 1942 and published seven) including The Sacrifice of Isaac, and The Seven Golden Buttons, collaborating on five cantatas with her husband. In 1987, she developed an extensive series on Jewish music for public radio. Eisenstein is remembered for being the first female to celebrate a Bat Mitzvah in 1922. She and her husband also founded a chavurah in Woodstock, NY (around 1991) at their home where they retired.