Shelley Rubin is the widow of JDL International Chairman Irv Rubin, and is currently the chairman and CEO of the USA-based, Kahanist, Jewish Defense League, a group which was classified as "a right-wing terrorist group" by the FBI in 2001.[1][2][3]
Shelley Rubin | |
|---|---|
| Employer | Jewish Defense League |
| Known for | Rubin v. City of Lancaster, a prayer lawsuit |
| Title | Chairman & CEO |
| Term | 2006–present |
| Predecessor | Irv Rubin |
| Spouse | Irv Rubin (deceased) |
Biography
editRubin is Jewish,[4] resides in California, and is the widow of JDL International Chairman Irv Rubin. She is also the chairman and CEO[5] of the USA-based, Kahanist, Jewish Defense League, a group which was classified as "a right-wing terrorist group" by the FBI in 2001.[1] She is responsible for ideological and strategic direction, organizational development, activities coordination, and daily administration of the JDL.[2][3]
She has been a member of the JDL since 1979, and served from 1985–2006 as Administrative Director (primarily under the leadership of her husband, late JDL International Chairman Irv Rubin), and has served as Chairman and CEO of the JDL since 2006.[2][3]
In 1980, she was arrested during a scuffle at a Jimmy Carter rally, as she carried a Reagan-Bush poster.[6]
In 1988, she was editor of the B'nai B'rith Messenger.[7]
In 2002, after her husband's death she called for an investigation, saying he would not have committed suicide.[8][9]
Lancaster City Council Prayer lawsuit
editShe and Maureen Feller filed suit in 2010 in Los Angeles Superior Court to try to stop the City of Lancaster City Council sessions from including a Christian prayer.[10][5][11] She described the use of the prayer by Rev. Martin Brauer as "showing a lack of respect for every American who doesn't share his brand of religion".[12] She filed the suit three weeks after Lancaster voters supported a ballot vote to allow the prayers.[5] The case was assigned to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Susan Bryant-Deason.[5]
The City removed the case to federal court.[10] In June 2011, Judge Dale Fischer of the U.S. Central District Court found against her and her co-plaintiff in a bench trial.[10][13][14][15]
Rubin appealed the case.[11] In March 2013, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, including District Judge Jack Zouhary, and Circuit Judges Alfred T. Goodwin and Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain, affirmed the district court ruling against her, upholding Lancaster’s prayer policy as not affecting an unconstitutional establishment of religion.[10][16][17][18][19][20]
Depictions
editRubin is depicted in the documentary film Mother with a Gun, which won Best Australian Documentary at the 2016 Antenna Documentary Film Festival[21] and was selected for the documentary film festival, DOC NYC.[22]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Publications — FBI". Retrieved September 5, 2014.
- ^ a b c [1] Archived November 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c [2] Archived March 31, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Victoria Kim (May 5, 2010). "Lancaster sued over prayer at council meetings". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Lawsuit aims to stop Lancaster invocation". Daily News. May 3, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ "Election Emotions Run High". Youngstown Vindicator. November 4, 1980. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ "Anti-semitic Violence Over JDO Camp Feared". Daily News of Los Angeles. August 7, 1988. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ Sandra Marquez (November 15, 2002). "Jewish Defense League Leader Dies After Alleged Suicide Attempt". The Daily Gazette. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ "Jewish Defense League Leader Dies Following Possible Suicide Attempt". Eugene Register-Guard. November 15, 2002. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Rubin v. City of Lancaster; Opinion" (PDF). UScourts.gov. March 26, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ a b "The 9th Circuit Affirms the Freedom to Pray Publicly in "Jesus' Name."" (PDF). The National Center for Law & Policy. April 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2013.
- ^ "Praying for Rights". Daily News of Los Angeles. May 29, 2003. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ Matt Reynolds (July 18, 2011). "Judge OKs Prayers at Lancaster City Meetings". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ Ann M. Simmons (July 18, 2011). "Council prayers: Federal court upholds Lancaster council's prayer policy". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ Associated, The (July 12, 2011). "Judge: Lancaster officials can pray at meetings". UTSanDiego.com. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ "Lancaster scores second victory in prayer case". The Antelope Valley Times. March 27, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ Kenneth Ofgang (March 27, 2013). "Ninth Circuit Upholds Prayers at Lancaster City Council Meetings". Metnews.com. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ Dave Tartre (November 13, 2012). "Tom Cruise and the Establishment Clause Service". Courthouse News. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ Ken Broder (April 1, 2013). "Jesus Gets a Shout-Out from U.S. Appeals Court after Lancaster City Prayers Are Challenged". Ca.allgov.com. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ Cindy Chang (March 27, 2013). "Lancaster City Council prayers again ruled constitutional". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 4, 2013.
- ^ "Mother with a Gun". Antenna Festival. Archived from the original on July 2, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- ^ "Mother with a Gun". DOC NYC. Retrieved August 24, 2021.