Rebecca Rubin, American Girl's tenth historical character, debuted on May 31, 2009. She is a nine-year-old Russian Jewish girl whose maternal grandparents and parents immigrated to the Lower East Side of New York City. Rebecca is fascinated by both various new American customs and the then-budding film industry, and aspires to become an actress despite her family's disapproval, though she treasures and celebrates her family's Jewish traditions. Her six book series was written by Jacqueline Dembar Greene and focuses on issues related to assimilation of immigrants while maintaining familial, religious, and cultural traditions.