American Girl Introduces Jewish Rebecca Rubin Doll

American Girl To Introduce Jewish Doll

Posted by: Catherine Strawn Filed in: news
11:45AM, Tuesday May 26th 2009

We were sad when American Girl discontinued Samantha Parkington, our favorite doll, but it seems the company was making way for a new girl: Rebecca Rubin.

Rebecca is American Girl’s first Jewish historical character, and she’s been a long time coming. For the past nine years, the company has been researching and developing the Rebecca character down to her hair color, which was supposedly a subject of debate for years. A 9-year-old in 1914, Rebecca lives on New York City’s Lower East Side her Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, siblings, and Bubbie, her grandmother.

The New York Times had a few Jewish culture and history experts read the books that tell Rebecca’s story, and despite a few inaccuracies, they said the books were quite sensitive and didn’t deal in stereotypes. We don’t think this should come as much of a surprise. When American Girl charges $95 for a doll, not including outfit changes and accessories, you’d hope they did their research. [NY Times]

comments

GreenAura
wrote on May 26 2009 @ 12:25 pm: [report]

When I was 8 (in 1990) I received Molly McIntire as a Christmas present. She was so cute with her little black rimmed glasses and teeny little mary janes. I got her when it was just the 3 original dolls, Molly, Samantha and Kirsten. Awww, memories!!

sam04
wrote on May 26 2009 @ 01:00 pm: [report]

Indeed! I had the Samantha doll (of course) plus her bed and some different outfits. I was the envy of all the other girls in my class, but she always seemed too expensive to play with. Dolls were never really my speciality. I was a devoted My Little Pony fan.

yarngasm
wrote on May 26 2009 @ 03:24 pm: [report]

I had Molly, too. I loved her, but always felt she was too precious to play with. Her dog, Bennett, was too cute.

And Rebecca is freaking adorable. I would want to rock her outfit now.

Anna Banana
wrote on May 26 2009 @ 07:17 pm: [report]

Unfortunately by the time the American Girl dolls came out, I was too old for dolls. :( Not that it mattered anyway, since my parents would have NEVER paid that much to buy me a doll (heck, they wouldn’t even get me a Cabbage Patch Doll!). The new doll looks cute, and one of Jewish heritage was long overdue!

alpikann
wrote on May 26 2009 @ 07:46 pm: [report]

one year i asked everyone to give me money for my bday so i could get an american girl doll. unfortunately i had a crazy mother and she actually took all my birthday money and i got no presents at all that year. i’m 25 now but i’m still pissed off over the american girl doll i never got.

they make some good stuff. they have crafts books and budgeting/growing up/my body and me type books too. yeah, i said budgeting it talks about saving your allowance, making your own business like babysitting or dogwalking. i think it goes into spending money on advertising and stuff like that, not your average kids books.