How Jewish Were the Catskills? 

I watched The fabulous Mrs Maisel and now I am here!

Just found out that my great grandparents (who were Jews), met there around 1925. It seems like a cool place, I hope I can check it out sometime in the distant future

Great vid, I only wish it was longer! :-)

I've been here a few times, I love it up at the Catskills. I'm from the UK.

The cantors had their conventions there and they were wonderful

In our family we called them "The Sour Cream Alps..."

My Grandparents would go to South Fallsburg. We visited almost every weekend. Bell's Bungalows, 61 Laurel Av. And a couple others. Grandma stayed in the Colony at Pleasant Valley Rd & Westwood Dr (don't remember the name) in the early 70's.

The Highway through the Jewish Catskills was NY State Route 17 -- NOT 76, as in the incorrect sub-title! NY 17 is gradually turning into I-86, a new interstate, basically following NY 17 across the southern tier of New York State, from the Hudson River west to the Pennsylvania line, near Erie PA. The Borscht Belt (or "Jewish Catsklills") are located in the Sullivan and Ulster County sections of that highway.

Great video. Thanks!

I, as a non-Jew think that the Borsch Belt culture was cool! ❤👍😊 I know that this is about the Borsch Belt resorts; but during the day, just about everyone went to camps or resorts There were also many non-Jewish resorts in both the Catskills and Adirondacks as well as on the Finger Lakes and Great Lakes back in days of rail travel. It was not unusual for middle-class families (at least mama and the kids) to spend the entire summer in these places since the cities of the era were very polluted and extremely hot. Less-wealthy families could opt for a semi-vacation where they tended crops for farmers. In particular, many poorer German immigrants opted for this in the Mohawk valley where hops and other high-maintenance crops were grown. The women and girls would stay in little camps/shanties/cabins or in curtained-off areas of a barn (animals stayed outside in the summer months*) and the boys sleeping in a tent. The women organized themselves to cook the food in a communal fashion. Many of these people originated from farms in Europe, sometimes from the same areas within the tiny German states (pre-1870 Germany) or within the Austrian empire. Families would return year after year and developed deep friendships with the other visitors and a knowledge the local people. When factories began to locate outside of NYC; this knowledge came in handy for those who wanted to emigrate outside of NYC. _____________________________ *The stone (and later concrete) floors and walls of these barns could be cleaned/scrubbed and painted with lime paint (disinfecting properties) In those barns, the animals stayed on the ground-level floor during the winter and the upper floor (loft) was used to store hay and grain for the animal's winter food. During the summer, these lofts would be empty or nearly empty. The lofts were gradually refilled with the first and second cutting of the hay (and a third cutting in a good year-- cooperative weather)

None of the Jewish resorts in the Catskills are left. Kutscher's was the last one but that was done several years ago. Somebody tried to revive Kutscher's but those efforts only lasted a short while. The Catskills resorts included either 2 or 3 meals each day where the waitstaff brought unlimited amounts of food, nightly entertainment, and activities all day long. Many people who lived in NYC went there during the summer to get away from the heat.

I still live here. It will never be what it once was. The scenery is still here but the hotels are gone,,,except for the Raleigh.👍

A grand era that will never return! The picture of the beautiful big indoor swimming pool back then - and now it is deserted, empty and strewn with graffiti is just sad!

My great grandparents were Hungarian Catholics who lived in Ulster County. My grandfather and I think at least one great aunt were born there. I am gathering as many family documents as I can so can get a Hungarian passport.

It was a good time the old hotels

We vacationed there in the early 80s. I wish we didn’t have to get on a plane to vacation these days

I tried finding this place.

This was not my experienceas pictured here in the Catskills. We were a lower middle class family so we rented an affordable small bungalow in various bungalow colonies. I never visited any of the nearby hotels.

Route 17 not 76

A walk on the moon

My Dad Irish from the Bronx ww2 era Mom Italian from Florence Italy they referred to the Catskills as The Jew Alps

🌉 Governor Coumo did he mark that SPOT 😮 TAPPEN ZEE 🌉🔝 FLOATING BOND 🥅 😊⚖😊 🥚 🐥 🐔 👚 👠 🏐 😊 😊 🔝⚖🔝

Woodstock wasn't held in the borscht belt. Saugerties is way up by Albany county, 100 miles away from route 17 and the Jewish community. I live in the catskills today.

When I think of the Catskills I think of food.

GO THEY DID GO TO PALM 🌴 BEACH CALIFORNIA NEVADA HAWAIIAN JAPAN MADAGASCAR 🇲🇬

So glad I missed those "fun" times!

I LIKE TO KNOW U HAVE IT WOW

Nice footage, but pretty superficial.

Love upstate NY ! Just did a Catskills video on my page as well. Feel free to check it out!

@ Robert Caskie: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were also "great people" and look how our faith in them cost us.

The Jewish Alps. Unfortunately, the area has gone into a very steep decline.

Hebelandia haha

🖤 WALKED OUT OF THE MOVIE THEATER 🎭 🏟 for THAT MOVIE DIRTY DANCING HATED THAT MOVIE