According to Alexander Bider's A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from the Russian Empire, the name STAROBINSKII was used in Gomel in the Chernigov region of Belorussia. (See Chernigov archive and mailing list.) It indicates an origin from the townlet of Starobin near Slutsk in Belorussia (80 miles south of Pinsk). The name Starobin itself means One Hundred Rabbis. See Slutzk and Vicinity Memorial Book which includes Starobin. Nevertheless, there are still a few Jews living in Starobin.
Selig means "comfort". Selig owned Hotel Zelig. His first wife Esther's son-in-law Yaacov KORBUTCHKY had two sons including Zelig STARR who survived the Holocaust a shattered man.
Selig's second wife Shayna Etel and her two sons (Moshe Bodya STAROBINSKY and Benjamin STAROBINSKY) inherited the hotel. Moshe Bodya STAROBINSKY was a Mohel.
Selig learned Russian from postmaster. Selig's father disapproved of him learning Russian, but afterwards as the only one in the ghetto (300 jews) who knew Russian he was able to make a living from that, translating official documents. (Everyone knew Ukrainian and Yiddish.)
Selig owned a hardware store and a hotel.
Benjamin STAROBINKSY (seated in the photo taken to the right taken around 1901 with his daughter and grandchildren) married Merchan (Miriam) was daughter of Rabbi David of Pinsk.
Benjamin's son David STAROBINSKY
(died 1899 Poland) learned Russian from
father. David married Gute Tova FELDMAN.
( Born
1863, died 5 July 1949, buried Yanover Cemetery, Waldheim, Illinois, Gate
125, Lot 317, Row 3, Grave 5, Id no. 42521.) Gute Tova immigrated to the
United States with her son Rabbi Zelig Starr. Her son's name was Anglicized to
Selig, and Gute Tova's name may have been Anglicized to Gertrude.
David STAROBINSKY and Gute Tova FELDMAN had 10 children:
Rabbi Selig STARR (b. 15 June 1893
Yanow, Poland,
d. 2 Nov 1989 = 4 cheshvan 5750 Chicago).
(In the photo above
taken around 1901, Selig is eight years old and is standing
on the right next to his sister Rifka, grandfather Benjamin, and aunt Sarah.)
