Aaron Rubinstein began life in 1928 in Poland.  He was the youngest of seven children.  Music and art were common place at home and each of the children exhibited promising talent.  By the time he was eleven, Aaron's geographical area was plagued by unrest and turmoil.  In 1939, when the Nazis invaded Poland, the Rubinstein family was told they had to make a decision to either leave everything they knew and had worked for and become Russians or be over taken by the Germans.  They chose to leave their homeland for the unknown and 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.

Living in Siberia was a great hardship for the family, but Aaron’s eldest sister 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 one thousand 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 set up by adult refugees with the help of the Jewish community.  Six months later, in 1943, the eight hundred sixty-one children and three hundred sixty-nine adults reached Palestine.  Aaron was fifteen when he arrived in Ein Harod, a Kibbutz that was well known for producing artists.

After serving in the Israeli army, Aaron entered the teacher’s college in Tel Aviv.  After graduation, he began teaching all subjects, including art, to the large immigrant population, very much 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 and his wife Rachel, were given the opportunity to become exchange teachers with the United States.  They left for Chicago where 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 bachelor'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, a company that translates sculpture into wearable art.  Aaron became a master in the lost wax casting process and designed thousands of molds.  His cast Bible wedding bands, with the uniquely detailed raised letters, can be seen all over the world. Aaron does not sketch anymore--he manually manipulates the sterling silver and gold to achieve his sculptural designs.  His passion is to use natural or faceted stones which he compliments  with intricate silver and gold designs.  After the tragic loss, in 2004, of his beloved wife and partner – Rachel, 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 82, enjoys creating new designs and exhibits at local art festivals.
 

"A Touch of Nature," sterling collar with branch coral