Standing at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Bald Hill for the unveiling of a new bench promoting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, New York’s Grand Master of Masons, Steven Rubin, was surrounded by veterans, public officials, and local lodge members—many of whom had helped bring the project to life. Quietly but powerfully, Rubin embodied the message engraved on the bench: solidarity, service, and strength in the face of crisis.
“Veterans carry a battle within,” Rubin said during the ceremony. “This is a place of reflection, peace, hope, and awareness—and a reminder that help is only a call away.”
The bench, part of a broader initiative by the Masonic War Veterans and the Masons of Suffolk County, is just one example of how Rubin and his fellow Masons continue a centuries-old mission rooted in service, education, and moral character.
Rubin’s Masonic journey began not with some storied family legacy or deliberate search—but by simply standing next to the right person at the right time. “I didn’t know much about the Masons, not even the conspiracy theories,” Rubin said with a laugh. “But I was intrigued when someone mentioned their lodge. I asked questions, submitted a petition, and the rest is history.”
Now in his second year as Grand Master for the State of New York, Rubin has spent nearly 28 years in Freemasonry. Along the way, he has served as lodge master at multiple locations, worked as a volunteer attorney for the Grand Lodge, and held leadership positions including Grand Treasurer and Deputy Grand Master.
His home lodge is Old Town Lodge in Southampton, though he started in Manhattan and remains active in a lodge upstate—New York’s last remaining moon lodge, which meets according to the lunar cycle.
Born in Ulster County and raised in the Hudson Valley, Rubin pursued law after graduating college. He worked as an assistant district attorney in the Bronx during the early 1990s before opening a personal injury litigation practice in Manhattan. Though his legal work occupies much of his time, Rubin said Masonry remains a central focus—especially now as Grand Master.
“I just want to help strengthen the institution and encourage good men to join us,” he said. “We want to continue doing the good work we’ve been doing for generations—quietly, honorably, and with purpose.”
Today’s Masons, Rubin emphasized, are not relics of the past, but everyday people: firefighters, veterans, business owners, first responders, and teachers. Despite persistent myths and misunderstandings, the fraternity remains committed to moral development, community service, and personal growth.
“You must have a belief in God, but we don’t talk religion or politics inside the lodge,” Rubin explained. “That’s how we find unity in a divided world. We focus on what brings us together.”
To that end, Rubin’s tenure has focused on strengthening governance, launching educational initiatives, and expanding charitable outreach. New programs include a multi-year esoteric studies course and a research track that culminates in publishable papers. New Masons now receive welcome kits with books and resources to help guide their journey.
“We also launched matching grants for every lodge to support local community service projects,” he said. “Whether it’s hosting veterans, helping students, or improving neighborhoods, we want to invest directly in the communities where we live.”
Freemasonry traces its formal origins back to the early 1700s in England, but many of its traditions and symbols reach even further into ancient stonemason guilds. In the United States, the organization gained prominence during the Revolutionary Era, counting among its members such towering figures as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere.
Rubin finds inspiration in many of these legendary Masonic brothers. “Teddy Roosevelt was a Mason from Long Island,” Rubin said. “He didn’t just talk about problems—he acted. That’s what we strive for. Same with Governor DeWitt Clinton, who helped build the Erie Canal and was once Grand Master of New York.”
He also speaks fondly of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French nobleman and general whose Masonic principles brought him across the Atlantic to support the American Revolution. “His ideals aligned with our vision of liberty and brotherhood,” Rubin said.
As Masonic War Veterans and lodges across Suffolk County continue their efforts—installing benches, raising funds for veterans, and organizing community events—Rubin remains focused on ensuring the fraternity thrives well into the future.
“The world may change, but our principles don’t,” Rubin said. “We are men from all backgrounds, united in our desire to improve ourselves and the world around us. We don’t just commiserate—we act.”