The secret Jewish history of the JFK assassination: Jack Ruby was once Jacob Rubenstein

Jack Ruby, born Jacob Leon Rubenstein to Polish-Jewish immigrants in Chicago, became infamous for fatally shooting Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of President John F. Kennedy, on live television.

Despite his criminal act, Ruby maintained a connection to his Jewish heritage. He attended synagogue services, albeit irregularly, and once gifted a puppy to his rabbi, Hillel Silverman. Ruby's Jewish identity was significant to him; during his military service, he reportedly assaulted a sergeant who insulted his heritage.

After the assassination of JFK, Ruby attended a memorial service at his synagogue, displaying a calm demeanor. Two days later, he killed Oswald, later claiming he did it "for the American people" and, according to some accounts, "to show that Jews had guts."

Ruby's actions and motivations remain subjects of debate, intertwining themes of identity, justice, and impulsivity.

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Image Credit: Dallas Police Department photographic records via Wikimedia Commons