A Dear Friend

Dr. Kaufman had such a presence, so that when he walked into a room the atmosphere would change immediately. He would greet you pleasantly with a friendly voice, and then catch up on the latest occurrences in your life. Dr. Kaufman always had an interesting story or a joke to tell. I remember his recollections of growing up in different neighborhoods in NYC, and his descriptions of life back then introduced me to a different world, when life was a little more difficult but people worked hard to maintain their ideals.

I've never experienced a photographic memory directly, but talking with Dr. Kaufman gave me a sense of what that would be like. He read widely and it showed: he could talk about almost any topic in depth, ranging from history and current events to quantum chemistry and physics.

Dr. Kaufman was brilliant in his work, having made seminal contributions to computational thermodynamics, founding CALPHAD (Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry), and getting his PhD at MIT, and then later doing research and teaching there for many years. Despite this, he did not have an inflated sense of self. He had a reputation for working hard late into the night. He was dedicated to his CALPHAD meetings, and would travel worldwide to places as far as Brazil, Korea, and China to attend them. I recently saw a picture of Dr. Kaufman at one of the CALPHAD meetings, surrounded by a group of young, smiling scientists from different countries. I was impressed by his ability to connect with people of all ages from such a wide variety of backgrounds.

Dr. Kaufman’s energy shone through especially in his love for the state of Israel and the Jewish people. Moving to a different country is very difficult, but due to his great love for Israel, he recently moved there, and had the chance to live there, if only briefly.

The biggest impact Dr. Kaufman had on my life was in his close relationship and deep love for his granddaughter Dana (my girlfriend). Dr. Kaufman was always there for her, when life was easy and when it was difficult. Dr. Kaufman worked closely with Dana in studying science with her when she was in high school and then later into her college years. I remember many occasions when they would spend hours discussing different problems in chemistry and quantum physics on the phone, until their understanding was clear.  Throughout the years, Dr. Kaufman was there to support and encourage her, and I have to thank him for this.

Whenever I would visit with Dana, Dr. Kaufman was always warm and welcoming. We would sit and have tea with cake, and talk. He was always enthused to hear about our progress in our respective fields. His view on life was always optimistic and he went out of his way to encourage us in our different pursuits.

I will miss Dr. Kaufman's presence and wisdom, as will family, countless friends and coworkers, and the scientific community. May he rest in peace in the country he loves.

SN