New American Girl Doll Shares Name With Fugitive

Brett Singer — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:00:00 GMT

You've heard about the new American Girl doll. Rebecca Rubin. Nice name.

But it turns out there's another Rebecca Rubin out there. She's a fugitive.

Not just any fugitive. One of the FBI's most wanted fugitives. An eco-terrorist, if you will.

The real-life Rebecca J. Rubin was part of a group called the Earth Liberation Front. Perpetuators of "the biggest act of eco-terrorism in U.S. history," according to some. Here is a video report of one of their more notorious acts:

So why pick the same name as a suspected terrorist? (What's next? Barbie Bin Laden? The New York Times quotes American Girl spokesperson Julie Parks as saying that, “Rebecca was one of the most popular names for Jewish girls in 1905, when Rebecca [the doll] would have been born. 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.” (As opposed to one of those really Jewy names, like Schlemielowitz.)

To be fair, "the company originally applied to register the name [Rebecca Rubin] with the United States trademark office in 2004," according to the Times. Suspected eco-terrorist Rebecca Rubin was indicted by a grand jury in 2006. Still, maybe the next time American Girl is about to launch a new doll, they might want to Google the name. Just in case.

Source: New York Times

Image: FBI (first time that's ever been an image source for me)

Morning News - GOP Calls Sotomayor Racist

Do You Leave Your Kids Alone in the Car?

13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

Katie Roiphe Doesn't Like You Or Your Kids

Dad Charges Daughter With Grand Theft Auto

Mazel Tov! Meet Rebecca - The New ‘Jewish’ American Girl Doll

SunnyChanel — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:24:00 GMT

It’s a mitzvah! On May 31st a brand new American Girl doll will be available for purchase. Meet Rebecca, the Lower East Side dwellin’ Jewish-American girl who is the newest addition to the doll company’s historical roster. Rebecca Rubin is a 9-year-old living with her family in New York City in the year 1914 and whose debut has been much anticipated.

Rebecca’s coming out party will be held at the New York American Girl superstore and will include tie-ins with the Lower East Side’s Tenement Museum, paying tribute to the doll’s history. There are six books that compliment Rebecca and cover her back story which includes issues such as labor conditions, immigration into the U.S., the beginning of the film industry and includes Manhattan history as the backdrop.

An American Girl spokesperson stated to the Chicago Sun Times that, "A Jewish doll has been a top request from customers for a long time…our goal has always been to choose the pivotal periods that shaped the history of our country.” She continued to say, "Two million Jews from Eastern Europe immigrated between 1880 and 1915. Most came to New York City…this is an opportunity to talk about how this influx shaped us. We wouldn't be the country we know if not for their contribution."

Rebecca is the first American Girl doll with a strong religious affiliation, although the doll company’s spokesperson points out that Catholicism plays an important roll in the background of their Josefina doll (from Colonial New Mexico).

As with all the American Girl characters you can purchase era appropriate accessories such as a wood sideboard with a Sabbath Set. And although she comes from humble beginnings, her price isn’t. She goes for $95 for the doll and the first book in the series. Or $114 for Rebecca, the first book and her hat and scarf.

Would you buy Rebecca for your little girl?

Full review of the doll coming soon.

Strollerderby : American girl doll

New American Girl Doll Shares Name With Fugitive

Mazel Tov! Meet Rebecca - The New ‘Jewish’ American Girl Doll

Morning News - GOP Calls Sotomayor Racist

Do You Leave Your Kids Alone in the Car?

13 Year Old Alfie Definitely Not A Dad

Katie Roiphe Doesn't Like You Or Your Kids

Dad Charges Daughter With Grand Theft Auto

Mazel Tov! Meet Rebecca - The New ‘Jewish’ American Girl Doll