Fonds 1066 - Steinberg/Rafman Families Fonds

Lily Rafman (nee Steinberg), born in 1909, was the daughter of Vilmos Sternberg (later known as William Steinberg) and Ida Roth. As a child, she helped her mother run the family business (Steinberg’s Stores). In 1931, after her brother Sam had taken over the family business, she and her mother started up a small shop on Monkland Street in Montreal's
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighborhood, where she worked and lived until her marriage in 1939 to Hyman Rafman. She and Hyman Rafman had four children, Sandra, Nancy, Marlene, and Mark.

Hyman Rafman, born November 20, 1906, was the son of Max Rafman and Sarah Rabinovich. Hyman married Lily Steinberg on June 4, 1939. He died on January 31, 1974.

Ida Roth was born in 1884. In 1902, she married William Steinberg (an arranged marriage). They had six children: Jack (1903), Sam (1905), Nathan (1908), Lily (1909), Max (1912), and Morris (1914). On her own, Ida started a small grocery store in 1917 in order to provide for her family. It was on St. Lawrence Boulevard in Montreal, and was quite successful. All family members helped out around the store, but young Sam Steinberg quickly emerged as a retail prodigy. He began opening new stores around Montreal, and in 1930, he incorporated the company, calling it “Steinberg’s Service Stores Ltd.” The first self-service outlet was opened in 1933, and a “Wholesale Grocereria” (offering limited service but drastically-discounted prices) opened its doors in 1934. Steinberg's enjoyed great expansion in the 1950s, when many Steinberg’s outlets opened up across Quebec.

Steinberg's was founded in 1917 in Montreal by Ida Steinberg, a Jewish-Hungarian immigrant. Under the direction of her five sons, led by Sam Steinberg, the store expanded from its storefront on St. Laurent Boulevard, with a Steinberg grocery store in nearly every district of the island of Montreal. The change from Steinberg's to Steinberg occured in 1961, along with a logo change. Sam Steinberg was one of the first employers to require mandatory bilingualism for his employees, resulting in the store becoming synonymous with grocery shopping in French, regardless of the actual store, "Je fais mon Steinberg." They were the largest supermarket chain in Quebec until the late 1980s. Steinberg's expanded into Ottawa, western Ontario, and New Brunswick. Steinberg's went bankrupt in 1992, three years after being sold, and the stores closed.

Ida Roth was born in 1884. In 1902, she married William Steinberg (an arranged marriage). They had six children: Jack (1903), Sam (1905), Nathan (1908), Lily (1909), Max (1912), and Morris (1914). On her own, Ida started a small grocery store in 1917 in order to provide for her family. It was on St. Lawrence Boulevard in Montreal, and was quite successful. All family members helped out around the store, but young Sam Steinberg quickly emerged as a retail prodigy. He began opening new stores around Montreal, and in 1930, he incorporated the company, calling it “Steinberg’s Service Stores Ltd.” The first self-service outlet was opened in 1933, and a “Wholesale Grocereria” (offering limited service but drastically-discounted prices) opened its doors in 1934. Steinberg's enjoyed great expansion in the 1950s, when many Steinberg’s outlets opened up across Quebec.