The Rubensteins were proud of their family tradition. Their ancestors had come to America in the mid 19th century. Their line had included doctors, lawyers, merchants and rabbis.
They decided to compile a family history, a legacy for the children. They hired a fine author. Only one problem arose: how to handle that great-uncle who was executed in the at Sing-Sing,in the electric chair. The author said not to worry, he could handle that section of history tactfully.
When the book appeared, the family turned to the section on Uncle Jacob. There, they read “Jacob Rubenstein occupied a chair of applied electronics at an important government institution, was attached to his position by the strongest of ties. His death came as a real shock.”