Rabbi Saul Jacob Rubin

Rabbi Saul Jacob Rubin, age 95, of St Simons Island, Georgia passed away on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

Rabbi Rubin was born in Newark, NJ, May 23, 1930. He graduated from Drew University, Magna Cum Laude in 1952. His post-graduate studies were at Columbia, and ordained at Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, in 1958, with a Master of Hebrew Letters Degree. In 1983, he received his Doctor of Hebrew Letters Degree. He was selected to lead the class in the ceremonies at all degree functions.

Rabbi Rubin served three congregations before retirement. Temple Beth Israel, in Gadsden, Alabama (where he met his wife, Elsie), Beth Ahabah, in Richmond, Virginia, (for 12 years) and Temple Mickve Israel, in Savannah, Georgia for 14 years. He was Rabbi-Emeritus from 1986-2001. He was, also, a supply Rabbi to Temple Beth Tefilloh in the Golden Isles.

Rabbi Rubin’s interest in community service and Southern Jewish history began in Richmond where he was a founder of Grace House (A neighborhood house) and the downtown historic congregations.

As a historian he helped to establish the Temple archives and revived interest in Sir Moses Ezekiel, the sculptor of the Confederacy. He was invited to speak at numerous Virginia Colleges, particularly Virginia Military Institute where Ezekiel’s sculptures dominate the campus. Annually he was invited to address the cadets. While in Richmond he was featured weekly on the popular radio program “The Moral Side of the News”.

Active in the clergy association, he befriended Dr. Thomas Austin, who served a local Baptist Church. Both men relocated to Savannah and for most of their time became co-partners in creating and leading non-profit agencies to serve the homeless and the needy including C.R.Y. (Congregations Responding to you).

Dr. Austin of the First Baptist Church and Rabbi Rubin taught courses at Savannah Country Day School in Biblical Studies. After retirement, he continued to teach a course in the Old Testament at Savannah Country Day. A series of interfaith dialogues were organized by the Rabbi in most of the historic downtown, historic congregations.

The Rabbi’s love of Savannah Jewish history resulted in the creation of the Temple Mickve Israel Museum and the publication of his book “Third to None: The Saga of Savannah Jewry 1733-1983”. The book became the definitive reference book for scholars researching the Savannah Jewish experience. It was republished in 2013. This was the first and only comprehensive history of the Nation’s third established congregation, the first in the south. The Rabbi helped to create the Southern Jewish Historical Society and was it’s first CEO and later served as President.

In 1976, the Georgia Legislature invited him to lead the religious celebrations of the State’s Semi-quincentenary. He authored a monograph for the occasion, outlining the history of Savannah’s colonial churches and synagogues. During he U.S. Bicentennial, Rabbi Rubin led a delegation of the rabbis of the six American Colonial Synagogues to the White House where he and his family visited President Fort in the Oval Office.

The Rabbi, also, served as a board member of the Senior Citizens, Red Cross and was a Trustee of the Georgia Historical Society. He worked with the United Way, chairing a clergy fund-raising effort on behalf of the homeless.

Upon retiring in 1986, the Rabbi became elected President of the Homeless Coalition, served on the Savannah-Chatham Homeless Authority (later becoming it’s second President), the Grace House Board, and the EOA. He was appointed by Chatham County Commissioners to the Tidelands Board, serving as Vice-President. The Rev. Martin Gilbert Award was presented to him for his interfaith and interracial efforts. The following year he founded the Interfaith-Interracial Fellowship.

Rabbi Rubin also, was an educator, teaching courses in Judaism, Bible and theology at Savannah State and St. Leo’s College. He was a lecturer for the Jewish Chautauqua Society at Georgia Southern, Brewton Parker College and Brunswick Jr. College.

The Rabbi served the Central Conference of American Rabbis as the Chair of he Havurah Committee (small home groups within synagogues to encourage Jewish study and spirituality). Having Served on the National Havurah Committee and as organizer of the first Southern Havurah Committee event at Wildacres, his expertise was sought by congregations in the south.

After retiring he became associated with Dr. Scott Peck (author of “The Road Less Traveled”) and the Foundation for Community Encouragement and was selected for the Alpha Group.

In recent years, Rabbi Rubin has led groups to Hofwyl Plantation near Darien, one of Georgia’s earliest rice plantations. He has lectured on the Jewish aspects of this Georgia historical site.

He is now united with his deceased family. His wife, Elsie Parson Rubin, son Lance Hays Rubin and his daughter, Stephanie Rubin Wheeler.

A funeral service will be held Tuesday, July 1, 2025 at 10:00 AM at Temple Beth Tefilloh, 1326 Egmont Street, Brunswick, GA . Following the funeral service will be a graveside service at 2:30 PM at Bonaventure Cemetery, 330 Bonaventure Road, Savannah, GA.

Many thanks to Rabbi Rachael Bregman and the members of Temple Beth Tefilloh of Brunswick, Vitality Assisted Living of St Simons Island, Coastal Hospice and his many attendants and friends comforting him in the last stages of life.