Borscht Belt
The Latest
-
Slideshows -
Culture What ‘Wet Hot American Summer’ and Jon Stewart Have in Common
Shofar-dick fights aside (yes, that’s crossing shofars held at crotch-level), there’s nothing really new about “Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.” But that’s why it works so well! Of course, the jokes are new, with gems like an incoherent “Starlight Express”-like musical, a token Israeli counselor who’s into threesomes and yurt-living, and a…
-
The Schmooze Kutsher’s Will Be Reincarnated as Catskills Yoga Retreat
Nobody puts Kutsher’s in a corner. After closing in 2013, the former Borscht Belt hotel — famed as the inspiration for the fictional “Dirty Dancing” resort — is to be reincarnated as a $250-million yoga center. Indian billionaire Subhash Chandra plans to turn the defunct resort into a yoga and wellness center. His vision edged…
-
The Schmooze My Kutsher’s Memories
From the 1970s to my [last] stay at Kutsher’s in 1997, I remember it as a heymish Shangri-La — starting with the check-in welcome by owner Helen Kutsher. A post-breakfast line-dance workout, then – trying to avoid the droppings of the resident Canadian geese on the lawn — a solo rowing session in a boat…
-
Fast Forward Kutsher’s, Fabled Borscht Belt Resort, Set To Be Demolished Later This Month
Kutsher’s, the fabled Catskills resort hotel, is set to be demolished later this month. The 1,300-acre property near Monticello, N.Y., was sold last year for $8.18 million to Veria Lifestyle Inc., which plans to turn it into a health and wellness resort. Pre-demolition work already has begun with the clearing of trees and brush, and…
-
Culture Rediscovering Beauty Amid Ruins of Once-Glorious Catskills
Photographer Marisa Scheinfeld pointed to a pile of rubble at what’s left of the famous Catskills resort hotel the Concord — once a glamorous beast of luxury with 1,200 rooms, three golf courses and a 3,000-seat dining room. “Over here was the outdoor pool, which was a tremendous, Olympic-sized swimming pool that I worked at…
-
Opinion My Journey to Borscht Belt Ruins
When I set out to write a story on the Catskills — its famed legacy, its tremendous decline and what the future holds — I knew I wanted to spend a couple of days upstate, talking with locals who witnessed the area in its heyday and seeing what’s left of it for myself. Photographer Marisa…
-
Culture How Don Byron Brought Klezmer Music And Mickey Katz Back To Life
A pre-eminent contemporary multi-instrumentalist and composer rooted in jazz, Don Byron has engaged with a wild variety of musical styles — from rap to neo-classical, funk to heavy metal — and is currently touring with the New Gospel Quintet, exploring the heritage of African-American spirituals It was his encounter with klezmer, however, and his tribute…
Explore
Most Popular
- 1
Opinion Israel deported me for helping West Bank Palestinians. I won’t give up on a peaceful future for the country I love
- 2
Culture A shocking true story of Mexico’s Jewish community comes to Netflix
- 3
Culture Hey, Irving — why are there so many Jews named Irving?
- 4
Books Esteemed by Oscar Wilde, England’s ‘greatest Jewess’ may finally be getting her due
In Case You Missed It
-
Culture How a wedding in Oklahoma taught a group of police officers and SWAT team members to care about Judaism and Israel
-
Fast Forward Germany’s antisemitism czar says slogans like ‘From the river to the sea’ should be illegal
-
Fast Forward There’s something missing from John Fetterman’s memoir: Israel
-
Looking Forward How a Russian samovar connects me to the old country — and my black market dealing great-great-grandmother
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
