Borscht Belt

0 Culture Communities

Kveller Staff in Kveller · 28 Oct

Mah jongg, a game with roots in 19th-century China, has become synonymous with American Jewish culture, akin to the Borscht Belt and Catskills.

0 Antisemitism Gender/Identity

Letters to the Editor: Standing Against Antisemitism

Editor in Hadassah · 3 Sep

This collection of letters to Hadassah Magazine addresses various concerns pertinent to both Jewish communal life and broader cultural challenges.

0 Culture Communities

Back to the Future in the Catskills

Jamie Betesh Carter in Tablet · 21 Aug

The author reflects on childhood memories of family vacations to Kutshers Country Club in the Catskills and the sense of community and nostalgia associated with this experience.

0 Communities History

Summers at Tannersville

Cindy Scarr in Mishpacha · 14 Aug

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, discrimination against Jewish clientele in resorts led to the creation of Jewish-owned vacation spots like in Tannersville, New York, where Anshei Hashoron shul stood as a symbol of permanence.

0 Culture History

Mel Brooks Talks About His Days Working in the Borscht Belt

Lior Zaltzman in Kveller · 30 Jul

Mel Brooks reflects on his formative years working in the Borscht Belt, a Jewish resort area in the Catskills of New York, where he began as a busboy at 14 and eventually became a comic on stage.

0 History Culture

My Mother, The Summer, The Catskills, and Me

Guest Contributor in Lilith · 9 Jul

The text reflects a personal reflection on the author's mother, Rani Stevens Goodman, a photographer who captured images at the Concord Hotel in the Catskill Mountains during the 1970s, a popular destination for Jews.

0 Art History

Beloved Borscht Belt entertainer Morris Katz remembered in new NYC exhibit

Julia Gergely in JTA · 16 May

Morris Katz, a Polish Holocaust survivor and renowned Borscht Belt entertainer who was known for his unique speed-painting act, is being commemorated in a new exhibit curated by Eddy Portnoy at YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.

0 Art Holocaust

The Bob Ross of the Borscht Belt is finally getting a New York City show

PJ Grisar in Forward · 13 May

Morris Katz, known as the "Bob Ross of the Borscht Belt," was a unique and prolific artist who painted quickly using unconventional methods.

0 Communities History

Seeking out sites from the bygone Borscht Belt? New historical markers lay out a path.

Julia Gergely in JTA · 26 Apr

The Borscht Belt, a historic Jewish vacation area in New York's Catskill Mountains, is being commemorated through a project involving the installation of 20 historical markers in significant towns.

0 Culture Television/Film

New stand-up shows aim to revive the Borscht Belt’s Jewish comedy legacy

Luke Tress in JTA · 17 Apr

The Borscht Belt, a historic hub of Jewish comedy in the Catskills, is being revived through new comedy shows organized by the Borscht Belt Museum.

0 History Antisemitism

The Borscht Belt is burning: In the Catskills, abandoned resorts keep catching fire

Luke Tress in JTA · 26 Mar

Abandoned resorts in the Catskills, once part of the famed Borscht Belt catering to Jewish clientele, are repeatedly catching fire, sparking grief and concerns among locals.

0 Music Culture

This rocker (almost) named Eric Kaminkowitz had a thing for edible berries and inspired Bruce Springsteen and 'Dirty Dancing'

Seth Rogovoy in Forward · 22 Mar

Eric Carmen, a talented musician who recently passed away at 74, was best known as the frontman for Raspberries, a group recognized for pioneering the power pop rock genre in the 1970s.

0 Culture History

An online comedy course asks Marc Maron, Lewis Black and more — why did Jews get into the funny business?

PJ Grisar in Forward · 14 Mar

The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research presents a new online course, "Is Anything Okay? The History of Jews and Comedy in America," exploring the origins of Jewish humor in the Borscht Belt comedy circuit and its evolution to modern-day comedy on social media.

0 Communities Language

A Yiddish Camp Saga

Tyler Kliem in New Voices · 5 Jan

The article recounts the author's experience at Camp Kinder Ring, a Yiddish camp in upstate New York.

0 History Antisemitism

Can Borscht Belt history revive Catskills tourism?

Benyamin Cohen in Forward · 18 Aug 2023

The Borscht Belt resorts, once a thriving hub of Jewish vacation culture in the Catskills, have been revitalized through a new trail of historical markers, honoring their rich history and aiming to revive Catskills tourism.

0 History Communities

The Borscht Belt resorts were abandoned long ago. But these signs point to a brighter future

Irene Katz Connelly in Forward · 17 Aug 2023

The Borscht Belt resorts in Mountain Dale, New York, once popular among Jewish vacationers, have long been abandoned, but efforts are underway to commemorate their historical significance.

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First Resorts

Jenna Weissman Joselit in Tablet · 20 Jul 2023

The article discusses the early Jewish summer resorts in the Catskills, specifically focusing on the Fairmont and Grand View Hotel.

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Survivors in the Catskills

Armin Rosen in Tablet · 3 Aug 2022

The article explores the current state of Holocaust survivors in the Catskills and the challenges of preserving the memory of the Holocaust.

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The man behind the punchline

Amy Spiro in Jewish Insider · 17 Apr 2020

Alan Zweibel, a renowned comedy writer known for his work with stars like Steve Martin and Billy Crystal, reflects on his extensive career in his latest book, "Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier."

0 History Culture

Russians in the Catskills

Maxim D. Shrayer in Tablet · 29 Jul 2019

Styopa and Simon plan a trip to Bluebell Inn in the Catskills, reminiscent of the once-popular Jewish resort area known as the Borscht Belt.

0 History Art

Ghosts of the Borscht Belt

Marjorie Ingall in Tablet · 5 Dec 2016

"The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America's Jewish Vacationland" by Marisa Scheinfeld explores the decline of old Jewish resorts in the Catskills, once a thriving vacation spot for Jews.

0 History Culture

Kibitzing in God’s Country

Neal Gabler in Jewish Review of Books · 23 Jun 2016

The Catskills hold a unique place in Jewish American history, notably known for the Borscht Belt resorts that catered to Jewish guests seeking leisure and entertainment.

0 History Culture

Remembering the Spot Where People Filled Up on Their Way to the Catskills

Elaine Freed Lindenblatt in Tablet · 1 Dec 2014

The Red Apple Rest was a beloved roadside restaurant in Southfields, N.Y., where travelers stopped on their way to the Catskills, serving over a million customers a year at its peak in the 1950s.

JL;DR

Tag: Borscht Belt