Coral Reef Senior High junior Kevin Rubin is the lead writing producer for the 2020 production of the Holocaust Impact Theater. The production will take place March 12, 13 and 14 at the Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center in Kendall.
“Holocaust Impact Theater is a community production where we teach and educate about the holocaust and contemporary social issues,” he says.
Through his work with Holocaust Impact Theater, Rubin will have earned more than 1,000 community service hours by the end of this year and he’ll earn another 500 next year when he reprises his lead writing producer role.
Rubin’s been a part of Holocaust Impact Theater since ninth grade. He started as an actor and added writing to the mix last year. He was familiar with the production because his sister, April, was a lead writing producer before she went to college.
“I’ve been going to the shows since I was a kid. Every year it would bring me to tears,” he says. “I wanted to have the same impact on people. The ultimate goal is to make the world into a better place.”
This year’s show exams transphobia, rape, anti-Semitism, and immigration with a strong holocaust thread that weaves throughout the production.
The proceeds from the show pay for the production and help with the next year’s budget if there is any money left over. Those involved in the production help a car wash to raise money and they were grateful to have received a $10,000 grant through the Knight Foundation selected by Arnold Mittelman.
At Coral Reef, Rubin is treasurer of the Best Buddies Club.
“My mom is a speech therapist, and through that I’ve learned a lot about children with disabilities. It always touched my heart,” he says. “I learned about the club that every Friday you would go eat lunch with children with disabilities. It gives me the opportunity to be there and make friends. Besides being there at lunch time, there aren’t many opportunities to hang out with them during school.”
The club also has Best Buddy picnics in local parks that draw a lot of families.
“And this year we have hopes of doing field trips to certain places like the zoo,” he says.
He’s the junior senator for IBIS, the club for International Baccalaureate students, a member of the Spanish National Honor Society, the Science National Honor Society and the National Honor Society.
Rubin volunteered at ZooMiami as part of the Conservation Teen Scientist program.
“Students learn facts about animals and throughout the day you’re assigned different posts at the zoo,” he says. “Five or six posts every day. You ask the children if they want to learn more about the animals and then lead into ways they can help with animal conservation.”
He loved volunteering at the zoo.
“It was really cool,” he says. “I really like interpreting with the giraffes and the brown bears.”
Rubin is member of the Youth Advisory Council for Florida’s 27th District started by Rep. Donna Shalala last year.
“It’s an opportunity to meet and show support for political issues,” he says. “We talk about issues that we want to see changed.”
Last year, Rubin was the sophomore class president. He ran freshman year as a way to be involved in the school community. He lost that race but ran again for sophomore year and won. However, because of time commitments, he decided against running for Junior Class President.
Rubin sometimes volunteers at his sister’s elementary school working on events such as the Fun Fair.
Linda Bernfeld Rodriguez
