Fonds 1357 - Rubenstein Brothers Company Fonds

Rubenstein Brothers Company was founded by Max Rubenstein in Montreal in 1864. The company was a brass foundry specializing in metal parts for horse and carriage harnesses. At the turn of the century the company grew to include nickel, bronze, and silver plating as well as operating a small machine shop. In 1929, Louis Rubenstein, the last remaining partner and child of founder Max, sold the company to Jack and Dave Becker, button and trimming suppliers in the city's garment industry. Under the Beckers the company grew according to the times and demands of Canada's manufacturing industries. At various points in time Rubenstein Bros. manufactured the Beaver Cloth Cutting Machine, post office boxes for Canada Post, and electrical intersections for Montreal's streetcars. During World War II, the company fabricated landing gear components for the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The post-war period brought a great deal of growth to the company, specifically in the garment industry and in the importation and sales of home-use sewing machines. Over the decades the company's successes also saw the opening of new offices in Toronto (1947), Winnipeg (1949), Vancouver (1995), and Edmonton (2001). In 2000, reacting to the decline of the garment industry in Canada, the company moved into garment decoration, garment printing, wide format digital printing, fabric printing, trophies, awards, and advertising specialities. In 2014, during its 150th anniversary, Rubenstein Bros. was renamed Rubenstein RB Digital Inc., to greater reflect its new role in Canadian industry.

The Beckers are also largely responsible for preserving and celebrating the heritage of the Rubenstein family, particuarly Louis Rubenstein (1861-1931). Louis Rubenstein best-known now as Canada's first world fancy skating champion, a title he fought for in Russia in 1890. He was also a proponent of numerous other sports in Montreal and Canada, including cycling, curling, bowling, and swimming. Beyond sporting life, Rubenstein was an active civic leader and served as a Montreal alderman from 1914-1931.

The Becker family carried this dedication to community onto themselves as well as several family members were extremely involved with numerous organizations within Jewish Montreal. Between them, generations of Beckers have been involved with the Federation of Jewish Community Services (today's Federation CJA), Combined Jewish Appeal, Camp Wooden Acres, Canadian Jewish Congress, the YM-YWHA, the Canadian Maccabiah Committee, the Montefiore Club, United Talmud Torah, Jewish Immigrant Aid Services, and the Hebrew Free Loan Association, to name only a few.