Recently-elected Leawood City Council member Rachel Rubin’s dedication to her work goes beyond just being a Leawood resident – it ties in with her Jewish heritage and identity, which she described as “rooted in a sense of justice and tikkun olam.”

Rubin, an attorney, represents the city’s Ward 3.

Rubin comes from a family dedicated to Judaism. Her father, Dr. Ben Rubin (z”l), came to the U.S. from Latvia in 1938 ahead of the Holocaust, and her mother, Debra Rubin, was active in Hadassah and helping educate Americans about Israel in the 1950s. They both kept kosher, sent their children to Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (HBHA) through the sixth grade and “actively practiced Judaism,” Rubin told The Chronicle.

In addition to her years at HBHA, Rubin attended Hebrew and Sunday school at Congregation Beth Shalom, was active in USY, attended Herzl and Ramah Camps and participated in the latter’s 1986 pilgrimage to Israel.

As an adult, she has been a board member of The J for years, serving for two years as the leadership development vice chair as well as on multiple committees and the Heritage Program Task Force. In 2023, she was awarded The J’s Howard T. Jacobson Next Generation Leadership Award.

Her civic involvement in Leawood increased five years ago, when a new development near her neighborhood sparked her efforts for improved traffic safety.

“As an attorney, I found I enjoyed speaking before the Leawood Planning Commission and City Council during this process,” Rubin said. “These experiences made me realize the importance of good leadership at the local level and the ability of cities to improve the quality of life for their residents.”

Rubin was also appointed to Leawood’s Gezer Sister City Committee in 2024 (the Gezer Region in Israel is Leawood’s sister city).

Last May, one of Rubin’s friends suggested she run for office, and she began to assemble a campaign.

“I had both Jewish and non-Jewish volunteers helping on my campaign,” she said. “I knew many Ward 3 residents from my work on development and traffic safety issues, and I’m incredibly grateful that so many of them stepped up to help my campaign. I had never run for office before and really had no idea what was involved.”

In addition to her Jewish values, her legal background — which includes a law degree from the University of Kansas and more than 25 years of experience as an attorney — informs her actions on the city council.

“I have always found solving problems and helping people to be the most satisfying aspects of practicing law, and I’m excited to bring these skills to my work on the Leawood City Council,” she said.

Rubin is proud to serve Leawood and work to positively impact her community, especially because community is what helped her father adjust and succeed in the U.S.

“I take great pride in being part of the next generation’s attempt to fulfill the American Dream,” she said.

Rubin’s current term lasts until 2030, and she looks forward to many initiatives and projects in the near future.

“The city has many exciting projects and goals on the horizon, such as improving pedestrian safety throughout Leawood and adopting a new ‘Comprehensive Plan’ that will carry us into the next decade and beyond,” Rubin said.

More information about the Leawood City Council is available at leawood.org.