Moses Josef Rubin

Rabbi Moses Josef Rubin (1892–1980) was leading rabbinic figure in Romania and later in the United States (New York City), a scion of the Kosov-Seret dynasty.

In 1940, on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement, October 12), all Jewish homes in Câmpulung were plundered, and the Jews were assaulted by the pro-Nazi Iron Guard (see Romania during World War II).

The valuable library of Rabbi Rubin was destroyed; he was mistreated and was given a document to sign which stated that he had hidden dynamite in the synagogue to be used in acts of sabotage.

Because he refused to sign this document, he and his son were harnessed to a cart loaded with stolen goods, and driven at revolver point while being beaten and humiliated.

During World War II, Rubin founded the first Vaad Hatzalah (emergency committee) in Bucharest, in order to aid Jewish people deported to the Transnistria concentration camps.