New York, NY – There’s wanted and then there’s WANTED.
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American Girl, the doll company based in Middleton, Wis., is expecting strong demand for the newest doll in its historical character line. The 18-inch doll, which went on sale on Sunday, is named Rebecca Rubin and comes with a storybook that describes her life in 1914, growing up on the Lower East Side as the daughter of Jewish Russian immigrants.
But the F.B.I. is more interested in another Rebecca Rubin. Rebecca J. Rubin, who sometimes goes by the alias Little Missy, is a fugitive who was indicted in 2006 in a series of arson fires in Oregon dating to 1997, according to her F.B.I. wanted poster.
The wanted Ms. Rubin carries a $50,000 reward and “should be considered armed and dangerous,” her wanted poster says. The doll Ms. Rubin costs $95 and can be bought with pet kittens and a toy challah bread.
How did the marketing slip happen? Julie Parks, a spokeswoman for American Girl, said that the company originally applied to register the name with the United States trademark office in 2004.
“Rebecca was one of the most popular names for Jewish girls in 1905, when Rebecca would have been born,” Ms. Parks said. “When researching last names, Rubin was on a list of a handful of other names that would have been appropriate for a Russian-Jewish family but, honestly, Rubin rose to the top because we liked the alliteration and knew that girls could easily pronounce it.”
The company was not aware of the outlaw Rebecca Rubin until last week, when Heeb magazine’s blog noted the similar name. “We feel confident that people will clearly see this as nothing more than what it is – an unrelated coincidence,” Ms. Parks said.
The F.B.I., on the other hand, is hoping the publicity for the doll will bring the flesh-and-blood Ms. Rubin, believed to be in her native Canada, to justice.
“Any publicity that gets the word out that our Rebecca Rubin is wanted on various charges is certainly beneficial,” said Beth Anne Steele, a spokeswoman for the F.B.I. in Oregon.
Somehow, someone will always find a crooked connection to a Jewish name!
Who would think that an innocent Rivky Rubin would be wanted by the FBI?
Well, it should have been checked out (since 2004) a bit better, and Sarah Rubin would have been okay too, or a more unusual name could have been…..Zlaty Rubin, or Shprintzy Rubin or Chynka Rubin???
I am sure that they will sell hundreds to Jewish girls everywhere, and of course the new prizes in the upcoming chinese auctions will feature the newest “Jewish” doll.
I think most frum people preferred the non Jewish dolls, there is less explaining to do when the books don’t reflect a frum lifestyle, than when the doll is not “Jewish” so nothing is expected.
Don’t we yiddin have a thing for not naming after a rusha and this doll is named after a rusha I say the machmirim should not buy this doll under no circumstance
this is too, too funny
I’m sorry Rifka Rubin is certainly not a name from those days. Charne, Dobrish, Hanna, Ethel would have been from the better options. As a last name perhaps, Greenstein, or Gelberg, Sonman, Fishik would’ve been better with no connection to 2day’s names (as far as i deem. sorry if i offended some1 unintentionaly)
#4 has a good idea – a first name from those days, combined with a nice last name. May I suggest Ethel Rosenberg?
Lucky the doll has a coooool name, bec. otherwise the soon to be released coooool “Kollel guy” Moishi Macher doll wouldnt want to date her. Is Rebecca a size 2 with a rich Askon father who lives in a fancy house and has a summer home? Otherwise, fuegedabbotit!
this whole business is stupid. It’s such an ordinary name, I am sure there are others named Rebbeca Rubin, besides this fugitive and the doll. I
I guess that in a book for children you are going to want to have the children doing as much as possible and it seems that the increased participation of women in Jewish ritual hit the Lower East Side before the Upper West Side. As a friend of ours commented, they are future Riverdalians. Maybe by the sixth book Rebecca will be a rabbi!
In one of the stories, the little character “leads a worker’s strike” and “makes an impassioned speech for labor rights.” But the “American Girl” doll is manufactured in China!
Get the Gali Girls. They are made in Israel and have a frum storyline.
$95 for a doll? Buy a $15 doll instead, and donate $80 to tzedakah.