Helen Rubenstein is a highly traditional mother and raised her daughter Cristina in the Jewish faith.
History
Cristina's Hospitalization
When Cristina was hospitalized after her ectopic pregnancy and resulting surgery, Helen came to Seattle to be with her. She annoyed Cristina by her presence, so Cristina quickly started demanding that her mother leave. ("Deny, Deny, Deny")
Cristina and Burke's Wedding
Helen came to Seattle to help plan her daughter's wedding. She quickly bonded with Burke's mom, Jane Burke, as they planned the wedding together. Under pressure from them, Cristina went dress shopping and chose bridesmaids. ("The Other Side of This Life, Part 1")
On the day of her daughter's wedding, she commented that she had supposed her daughter to be too emotionally stunted for marriage, but was happy to be apparently proven wrong. ("Didn't We Almost Have It All?")
Cristina's Drunk Call
She once received a drunk call from her daughter, who couldn't remember what valances were called and wanted to find out. ("You've Got to Hide Your Love Away")
Relationships
Romantic
Helen first married and had a child named Cristina but she later remarried to Dr. Saul Rubenstein, an oral surgeon, when Cristina was three. Cristina's father died later in a car accident when Cristina was nine.
Familial
Helen is disappointed that her daughter is not more like herself. She constantly harasses her daughter to put more time into finding a husband and settling down.
Gallery
Episodic
Episode Stills
Appearances
| Grey's Anatomy, Season 2 | |||||
| #01 | "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head" | #10 | "Much too Much" | #19 | "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" |
| #02 | "Enough is Enough" | #11 | "Owner of a Lonely Heart" | #20 | "Band-Aid Covers the Bullet Hole" |
| #03 | "Make Me Lose Control" | #12 | "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" | #21 | "Superstition" |
| #04 | "Deny, Deny, Deny" | #13 | "Begin the Begin" | #22 | "The Name of the Game" |
| #05 | "Bring the Pain" | #14 | "Tell Me Sweet Little Lies" | #23 | "Blues for Sister Someone" |
| #06 | "Into You Like a Train" | #15 | "Break on Through" | #24 | "Damage Case" |
| #07 | "Something to Talk About" | #16 | "It's the End of the World" | #25 | "17 Seconds" |
| #08 | "Let It Be" | #17 | "As We Know It" | #26 | "Deterioration of the Fight or Flight Response" |
| #09 | "Thanks for the Memories" | #18 | "Yesterday" | #27 | "Losing My Religion" |
| Grey's Anatomy, Season 3 | |||||
| #01 | "Time Has Come Today" | #10 | "Don't Stand So Close to Me" | #19 | "My Favorite Mistake" |
| #02 | "I Am a Tree" | #11 | "Six Days, Part 1" | #20 | "Time After Time" |
| #03 | "Sometimes a Fantasy" | #12 | "Six Days, Part 2" | #21 | "Desire" |
| #04 | "What I Am" | #13 | "Great Expectations" | #22 | "The Other Side of This Life, Part 1" |
| #05 | "Oh, the Guilt" | #14 | "Wishin' and Hopin'" | #23 | "The Other Side of This Life, Part 2" |
| #06 | "Let the Angels Commit" | #15 | "Walk on Water" | #24 | "Testing 1-2-3" |
| #07 | "Where the Boys Are" | #16 | "Drowning on Dry Land" | #25 | "Didn't We Almost Have It All?" |
| #08 | "Staring at the Sun" | #17 | "Some Kind of Miracle" | ||
| #09 | "From a Whisper to a Scream" | #18 | "Scars and Souvenirs" | ||