Borscht Belt Summers June 24, 2007

Every year between 1920 and 1970, almost one million of New York’s Jewish population summered in the Catskills, from the grand hotels like Grossinger’s and the Concord to the more modest bungalow colonies and kuchaleins (“cook for yourself” places). Catskills veteran and Pennsylvania State University Professor Irwin Richman recaptures everything from the traffic jams leaving the city to the small-time entertainers to strategies for sneaking into the casinos of the big hotels. He also traces the changes in the Catskills, including the influx of Hasidic families.

A warm, nostalgic look, with slides, of Borscht Belt summers followed by a screening of Peter Davis’s 1982 documentary, The Rise and Fall of the Borscht Belt.

4:00 PM lecture
6:00 PM film

Free event. Advanced reservations required by calling 415-292-1233.

Official Website: http://jccsf.org/content_main.aspx?catid=19#1668