“The greatest lesson I learned from my dad was kindness. He displayed a profound level of kindness to everyone he met.” So says Gary Rubel, son of Fredric Rubel, second generation owner of Fredric H. Rubel Jewelers in Laguna Beach. The Rubels’ involvement in Orange County began back in 1978, when they opened a store in the newly built Main Place Mall in Santa Ana. Prior to that, the family-run business had been located in San Bernardino, where Fredric’s parents Barney and Rose (née Greenstein) opened Crescent Jewelers in 1928. Fredric, born in 1934, attended UC Berkeley and joined Jewish fraternity Zeta Beta Tau; his future wife Joan Steinsapir also attended Cal and belonged to the Jewish sorority Alpha Epsilon Phi. The two married in 1957, after which they returned to San Bernardino so Fredric could help his parents run the store. In 1966, as he became more involved in the business, the name was changed to Fredric H. Rubel Jewelers. After 50 years in San Bernardino, the family moved to Orange County and opened the Santa Ana store, followed by another in Mission Viejo and then Laguna Beach in 2004. Today that store, called “Laguna’s Crown Jewel” by a local newspaper, is co-owned by Fredric’s sons David and Gary. The family is very involved in philanthropic causes, supporting Laguna Beach’s public schools, the Boys and Girls Club, Heritage Pointe, and Jewish Vocational Service, among others. “In many ways, Fredric H. Rubel Jewelers exemplifies what’s best about our town … family, community, trust. They recognize the importance of giving back wherever and whenever they can. These are the qualities that make Fredric H. Rubel Jewelers … a true gem in our little town.”
Dalia Taft, Director of the Orange County Jewish Historical Society, highlights images from the archives every month. For more information, please visit https://www.jccoc.org/Pages/Oc-Jewish-Historical-Society. You can also contact Dalia at Daliat@jccoc.org or at (949) 435-3400, Ext. 360. The Orange County Jewish Historical Society is a program of the Merage Jewish Community Center and is funded by the Jewish Community Foundation Orange County.