Growing up in the legendary Borscht Belt of the Catskills in "Upstate" NY, it was a rite of passage to work at one of the famous resorts, at one time or another. Grossingers was one of the tops! The experience offered a glimpse into everything and everyone. Waiting tables, delivering towels (and drinks) by the pool, acting as a sports caddy, or, as I mostly did, running the lights and sound for the nightclub, you saw it all. Here, many of the greatest Jewish comedians and entertainers (and others!) did a "family show" before "going blue" for the late-night crowd. And then you gambled away your tips deep into the night! And for entire cohorts raised on "Dirty Dancing"? Grossingers was its spiritual inspiration. The Borscht Belt was the ultimate 20th-century vacation destination for Jewish-Americans. It offered an escape from the pre-air conditioning heat and crowded tenements of NYC to the fresh air and freedom of the Catskills before there were highways to speed you on your way! The Bronx to South Fallsburg or Liberty, NY? 8-10 hours on the curvy mountainous roads of the western Hudson Valley, with a lunch stop at the famed Red Apple Rest, of course! From just after WWI until the Age of Aquarius, it was an all-inclusive haven away from the realities of Jewish daily life, where bigotry and antisemitism barred us from existing country clubs, resorts, and other leisure destinations. When we were turned away by the Gentiles, we made our own way. And let me tell you, brother, that way was all about relaxing, socializing, and partying till past dawn… and then doing it all over again the next day. Its era has passed, and we won't see its like again. But they were good times. Good times. https://www.jns.org/elaine-grossinger-etess-98-ran-famed-borsch-belt-family-resort-in-catskills
Growing up in the legendary Borscht Belt of the Catskills in "Upstate" NY, it was a rite of passage to work at one of the famous resorts, at one time or another.
#Grossingers #Catskills #BorschtBelt #Jewish #JewSky
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