Aaron Rubinstein began life in 1928 in Poland; the youngest of seven children born into an artistic family.  Music and art were common place at home and each of the surviving five children exhibited promising talent.  At the age of eleven, Aaron lived in a geographical area plagued by unrest and turmoil.  In 1939 when the Nazis invaded Poland, the Rubinstein family was told they had to make a decision - leave everything they knew and had worked for and become Russians or be taken over by the Germans.  Their difficult and harried decision, that most certainly saved their lives, was to leave their homeland for the unknown.  They arrived by way of cattle cars to Siberia only one month prior to the Nazis removing any evidence that Jews ever existed in their village.

Siberia was a hardship and Aaron’s eldest sister had learned of a possible escape for her youngest brother.  The Polish government (in exile) and the Soviet authorities agreed to allow the emigration of close to 1,000 Jewish children; Aaron Rubinstein was allowed to join this group, known as the Tehran Children.  He left his family and was taken to Tehran where he lived in an orphanage that had been set up by adult refugees with the help of the Jewish community.  Six months later in 1943, the 861 children and 369 adults reached Palestine.  Aaron, at the age of 15, arrived in Ein Harod, a Kibbutz that was well known for producing artists.

Aaron, after the army and looking for a career, entered the teacher’s college in Tel Aviv.  He graduated and began teaching all subjects including art to the large immigrant population that was in need of education.  He also earned an administrator’s degree and became a principal in Ashkelon, Israel.  In 1960, the Rubinstein’s – Aaron and Rachel, were given the opportunity to become exchange teachers with the United States.  Aaron continued his education at the Chicago Art Institute and taught in the afternoon.  The family moved six times back and forth between countries and while living in Minneapolis, Aaron received another master’s degree at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, majoring in sculpture with a minor in jewelry.  In 1968, the Rubinsteins finally settled in Cincinnati, Ohio and Aaron left teaching to concentrate on his first love – Art and sculptural jewelry.

Aaron and Rachel created Modern Art Jewelry, Original Designs by Aaron in 1968, a company that translates sculpture into wearable art.  Aaron became a master in the “lost wax casting process” and designed thousands of molds.  His Bible wedding bands, with the unique detailed raised letters cast as a one piece ring, can be seen all over the world.  He began developing other styles, such as art deco and cubism.  Aaron does not sketch anymore, but manipulates the sterling silver and gold to achieve his sculptural designs.  His passion is to use natural or faceted stones and compliments them with intricate silver and gold designs.  After the tragic loss in 2004 of his beloved wife and partner – Rachel and Aaron’s daughter Haguit joined the company.  Modern Art Jewelry, Original Designs by Aaron has exhibited original work in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Palm Beach, New York, and most recently in Philadelphia.  Aaron now at the age of 81, enjoys creating new designs and exhibits at local art festivals.