Rabb Family

Nachman Schleime and Yente Rabinovitz (original name: Aaron) and their children immigrated to the United States in 1891 from Russia. Emigrating to avoid a son's conscription into the Russian Army, the family spent two years trying to enter Palestine and ended up in America by accident, according to family lore. Joseph Rabinovitz (JR) (1878-1967) was thirteen when the family arrived in Boston, sent by the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society from New York. Working in the family's North End grocery store and peddling housewares, he saved enough money to go into the wholesale grocery business. He then joined forces with his older brother Max, and in 1898, along with three other companies, established the Standard Grocery Company.

JR's brothers, Jacob (1885-1967) and Julius, started the Economy Grocery Company in 1913. After his discharge from the Marines, Sidney Rabinovitz (SRR) (1900-1985), JR's eldest son, joined the company, becoming General Manager in 1919 and rising to Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer in 1930. By the end of 1919, JR also became actively involved in the company. Only a year later, Jacob, JR and SRR were the sole owners. Norman S. Rabinovitz (NSR) (1905-1997), JR's second son, came into the business in 1925, the year the company incorporated and issued its first shares of general stock. In 1935, Irving W. Rabinovitz (IWR) (1913- ), JR's third son, joined the company. All three brothers, SRR, NSR, and IWR attended the Boston Latin School and went on to Harvard before going into the family business.

The company grew rapidly from the 1920s to the mid-1930s, opening new stores and acquiring existing stores and store chains. Economy opened its first supermarket store in 1935 on Memorial Drive, in Cambridge, Mass., under the name R.H. White Food Mart. By 1937, noting the store's success, the company began opening self-service supermarkets under the name Stop & Shop. With the shift to self-service supermarkets, the company began gradually closing the Economy stores and in 1946 changed the name of the company to Stop & Shop, Inc. In 1946, the three brothers, SRR, NSR, and IWR also changed their name from Rabinovitz to Rabb.

Originally a retail food company, Stop & Shop soon diversified acquiring Bradlees Junior Department Stores, Medi Mart, and Charles B. Perkins Tobacco. The company also expanded to include its own bakery, potato operation, perishable distribution center, dairy plant, quality control laboratory, and meat processing facility. In 1970 the corporate name changed to The Stop & Shop Companies, Inc., reflecting the company's diversified nature.

Two other family members who joined the company during this later period were Carol R. Goldberg (née Rabinovitz) (CRG) (1931- ), daughter of SRR, and her husband, Avram J. Goldberg (AVG) (1930- ). CRG entered the business in 1958 and AVG started in 1948. In 1971, AVG was elected president of Stop & Shop. CRG succeeded him as president of the corporation in 1985 when he was named Chairman of the Board.

In addition to their work with Stop & Shop, the family also has a long history of involvement in numerous civic and religious activities. Well-known for their philanthropy, the family's contributions have assisted many organizations including Beth Israel Hospital, which dedicated a building in their honor, and Brandeis University, where they were the chief contributors to the Rabb Graduate Center. The various family members have also been active in associations and organizations ranging from the Boston Public Library to the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston.

From the guide to the Rabb Family papers, 1912-1989, (American Jewish Historical Society)