In early April 2026 my most recent book was published, this time a biography. Joseph E. Grosberg, Supermarket Pioneer of Schenectady is about a Jewish businessman from Schenectady, best known as one of the original founders of Central Markets supermarkets in upstate New York, the predecessor of Price Chopper Supermarkets and Market 32.  They say you should write what you know, but sometimes you end up writing about a topic you know very little about when you first begin. Years ago, I worked as a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines and wrote articles about everything, from cosmetic dentistry to women who rode motorcycles to life as a professional dancer—all things I knew very little about prior to writing about them. Often the articles I was assigned to write involved research and interviewing people to learn enough about the topic to sound like I knew what I was talking about once the articles were published.

When I first started working on this biography, much like when I was writing for print publications years ago, my knowledge of the topic--Joseph Grosberg--was limited. I knew almost nothing about Schenectady or about Jewish culture and history, plus I had never written a biography before, so the whole project from start to finish was a learning lesson for me.

In spite of “write what you know” being drummed into me for many years by all the experts advising wannabe writers, I went against that advice and wrote a book about something I didn’t know much about starting out. Why did I do it? First off, because I tend to be a bit of a masochist when it comes to taking on projects for little or no pay. Second, because after digging up a bunch of information about Grosberg, I felt his place in Schenectady history was lost to time and his story deserved to be told. Once I decided to take on this project, I started reading everything I could find about him in old newspapers, begged for copies of recorded interviews and written documentation his three daughters left behind detailing their lives as the children of a wholesale grocer, talked to anyone (most over the age of 80, many in their 90s) who remembered Grosberg when he was still alive, and called and emailed any organizations or individuals who could assist me in learning everything I could about the man. The research process was tedious at times, and exciting at others, especially when I discovered something new I hadn’t known before, or whenever I hooked up with someone who also believed in my project and who went out of their way to assist me.

Joseph Grosberg (1883-1971) was involved in many organizations in and around Schenectady, NY. Prior to starting up Central Markets, he was a wholesale grocer, with businesses both in Schenectady and Amsterdam, NY. He was one of the pioneering leaders of Super Market Institute and one of the founders of the Seaboard Food Service. He was a founding father and first and long-time president of the Hebrew Institute of Schenectady, which later evolved into the Schenectady Jewish Community Center. He was president of Agudas (Aqudat) Achim off and on in the 1920s and 1930s. He was president of the New York Capital District Region of the United Synagogue of America, chairman of The United Jewish Appeal, a long-time member and trustee of the Schenectady Lodge of B'nai B'rith, and one of the founders of the Troy (Capital District) Jewish Home for the Aged (later called Daughters of Sarah Jewish Home for the Aged). He was on the Board of Directors of Saratoga Springs Cure and Convalescent Home. He was a charter member of the Schenectady Kiwanis Club and carries the distinction of being one of the longest and last survivors of charter members of that club. The list goes on and on.

Joseph Grosberg was also a real estate investor who owned some notable buildings around Schenectady including the Imperial Building, the historic home of former General Electric executive G.E. Emmons, the former C.S. Smith and Company Wholesale Grocers building on Erie Blvd (renamed the Grosberg Building up until the 1960s), and the Fuller Street Car Barn he bought at auction from the bankrupt Schenectady Railway Company, among others.

For anyone interested in Schenectady history, the history of Central Markets, or in some of the Jewish organizations in Schenectady that Grosberg helped start up, or if you are into genealogy and are related in some way to any of the Grosberg Family from Schenectady or Detroit take a look at my book. You can also help convince me I wasn’t a masochist for writing the book by recommending it to anyone you think would be interested. Joseph E. Grosberg, Supermarket Pioneer of Schenectady is available on Amazon and other various websites. You can find the book on Amazon by clicking here.