Borscht Belt

Borscht Belt ( German: Borscht Belt ) is a colloquial term for the now mostly defunct tourist resorts of New York Jews in the Catskill Mountains (Upstate New York ) during the 1960s.

History

The Borscht Belt hotels, bungalow settlements, camps and Kuchaleyns ( Yiddish, bungalows, self-catering ) were used by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe as well as their children and grandchildren, who came in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, to New York. Other nicknames for this population of trafficked areas were the " Jewish Alps" and Solomon County as a parody of Sullivan County. Well-known resorts were Brickman 's, Brown's, Concord Resort Hotel, Grossinger 's, Granit, Kutsher 's Hotel and Country Club, Nevele Grand Hotel, Friar Tuck Inn, The Pines Resort, Raleigh Hotel and Windsor. Two major hotels were Shawanga Lodge and Overlook at Bloomingburg.

It was typical about the Overlook, which was operated until the 1960s by the family Schrier and during the summer months entertainment and accommodation in 50 bungalows, a main building and five villas offered. Some of the hotels were originally farms immigrant Jews from the beginning of the 20th century.

Despite the road expansion of New York State Route 17 to Interstate Highway the area lost due to the increasing air traffic as a tourist destination in importance. Today is a holiday in the Catskills of New York is just as expensive as a ( attractive ) trip to Hawaii or the Caribbean. What remained was a veritable museum of abandoned or decaying tourist destinations from the boom time of the Borscht Belt.

Under the title The Rise and Fall of the Borscht Belt, a film by Peter Davis was published in 1986.

Trivia

The Borscht Belt was known in Germany through the dance movie Dirty Dancing. The actual tradition of Borscht Belt entertainment started in the early 1920s and a Jewish theater, which was built in Boris Thomaschewsky Hunter.

Over time, many comedians and actors were here for the first time is known, then

• Joey Adams
• Woody Allen
• Milton Berle
• Mel Brooks
• George Burns
• Lenny Bruce
• Red Buttons
• Rodney Dangerfield
• Danny Kaye
• Alan King
• Robert Klein
• Don Rickles
• Allan Sherman
• Henny Youngman et al

The best-known cultural event in the area was, although without reference to the Borscht Belt, 1969, the Woodstock Festival on the grounds of Jewish Farmers Max Yasgur in Bethel.

Today

The region is currently residence of many Orthodox New York City Jews in their holiday homes and bungalow settlements (many historical ) during the summer as well as long-term campers. Because of their age exists even a year-round branch of the Orthodox Jewish medical emergency service Hatzolah.