‘Be Kind To
Mahwah Family
Creates Compassionate,
Sustainable Living Store
By Brianna Ruback
After visiting an animal sanctuary in 2009,
Ellen Mass and her family of Mahwah decided
to switch from vegetarianism to veganism,
which ultimately gave rise to a passion for protecting
the earth and all of its inhabitants.
“We met the animal sanctuary’s chickens and cows, and
I started to cry. And I said, ‘I can’t do it to them anymore. I
can’t hurt those sweet animals anymore,’ and went vegan that
day,” Ellen, who is originally from Englewood, said. “The rest
of the family followed within a few months.”
While they tossed around the idea of starting their own
business for several years, the Mass family decided to launch
their own online store this past May called REBL. Each letter
of the company’s name represents a member of the family:
Rebecca, Ellen, Bobby and Leah.
Ellen’s daughter, Leah, a graduate of Ramsey High
School, said family and friends had suggested the Mass’
open their own vegan restaurant, which they considered.
But, the Mass’ opted for clothing and accessories.
REBL sells T-shirts, tank tops, hats, bags and
stickers with messages that promote environmentalism,
animal welfare and veganism. The family is also
considering selling jewelry and decorative items in the
future.
Ellen and her other daughter, Rebecca, also a Ramsey High
School graduate, take part in the graphic designing
with the assistance of Leah. But, the entire family,
including Ellen’s husband, Bobby, who is
originally from Englewood Cliffs (Ellen
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