Characterized by television talk show host Merv Griffin as "the foremost Jewish activist in America," Irv Rubin deservingly merits that description. His ardent dedication to the survival of the Jewish people -- albeit through occasional controversial and unorthodox methods -- has made him a respected and recognized leader of the American Jewish community. On the other hand, Rubin also has earned the fear and wrath of the enemies of the Jewish people. For this he is most proud.

Irv Rubin first experienced anti-Semitism while growing up in Montreal, Canada, where some hotel owners and other business people hung signs reading "No Dogs or Jews Allowed" on their doors and where French Canadian schoolchildren taunted him because he was Jewish. It was here that Irv Rubin learned to fight back.

His family emigrated to the United States in 1961 and settled in the Los Angeles area. In 1966, Rubin became a citizen when he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He served for four years and attained the rank of sergeant.

While attending college in 1971, Rubin crossed paths with leaders of the organization he would ultimately head - the Jewish Defense League. His talents and genius were recognized right from the start. In four short months, Rubin was appointed to the post of West Coast Coordinator, a position he held until 1985, when he was asked to succeed Rabbi Meir Kahane, founder of the JDL, as National Chairman.

Irv Rubin's JDL lifework was briefly interrupted with the outbreak of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when he immediately went to Israel, where he served in the civil defense corps (non-citizens are ineligible to serve in the army).

Throughout his career, Rubin has been arrested about forty times (he's lost count) on behalf of the Jewish people. Many of his arrests were related to his protests of the treatment of Jews in the former Soviet Union. He has also been arrested numerous times for physically confronting Jew-haters. In 1980, he was tried for "soliciting the murders of every Nazi in the United States," of which a jury found him innocent. Also that year, he was put on trial for "challenging to fight" hostile Iranians at an event labeled by the media as the "Battle of Beverly Hills." The judge dismissed the charges.

Rubin was the subject of a 1978 Ku Klux Klan assassination attempt, which led to the arrests and convictions of three Klan members. Since then, his has been the #1 Jewish name on a variety of neo-Nazi hit lists.

As leader of the JDL, Irv Rubin has instituted civilian patrols, organized self-defense programs of firearms and martial arts, and established assistance for elderly Jews walking to synagogue on Friday nights, among other services. Most recently he was in Norway, where he was arrested for demonstrating against Israeli Prime Minister Rabin, whose desire for world praise and approval was responsible for the murders of hundreds of Jews and will lead to the eventual destruction of the Jewish State.

Irv Rubin's involvement in community affairs certainly is not limited to those of Jewish concern. His leadership abilities surfaced while a student at Granada Hills High School (Class of '63). There he served as president of the Republican Club and was chosen to be a page at the GOP Convention the following year. On a whim, he ran for public office in 1982 and finished second -- without spending a dime on the election. Even though he remains loyal to the conservative viewpoint, he is not afraid to criticize any politician -- regardless of affiliation.

When a Palestinian restaurant owner was being terrorized by a Mafia-like organization, it was Irv Rubin who successfully stood up for him. When he found out that the KKK was rearing its ugly head in Forsythe County, Georgia, Irv Rubin got on the next plane and marched in solidarity with African-Americans.

Like most Americans, Irv Rubin continues to be outraged over the decision of the jury in the O.J. Simpson double murder trial. Unlike most people, however, he publicly demonstrates his disgust at the "white-washing" of Simpson. CNN has reported on a recent incident in front of Simpson's Brentwood estate.

Among his many distinctions, Irv Rubin was presented the Abraham Lincoln Award for battling "bravely against bigotry and for religious and civil liberty for the world community" by the Southern California Chapter of the Church State Council of Seventh-day Adventists.

Irv Rubin has been a popular guest on such TV shows as Donahue, Jerry Springer, Whoopi Goldberg, Nightline and Crossfire, to name just a few. Of course, he's been on a multitude of radio broadcasts, most notably Los Angeles premier talk radio stations KABC and KFI. Whenever he makes an appearance, the "lines light up and stay lit." One thing's for sure, wherever Irv Rubin is, there's never a dull moment.

Eloquent and erudite, Irv Rubin continues to grow in fame across the country. He has been married for 19 years and has two sons.