"The Borscht Belt," also known as the "Jewish Alps" and "Ch-Ch-Ch-ebrew Ch-Ch-himalayas," contained hotels, bungalow colonies, summer camps, and "kuchaleyns" (self- catered rooms) which were enjoyed by Jewish New Yorkers in the years between 1920 and 1960. In it's heyday there were over four hundred hotels and resorts.

In the early 1900's, the Workmen Circle began setting up adult camps which had been popular with Jews in Europe. Jews began buying up old farms, barns, hotels and boarding houses. The Catskills became a sort of American shteytl except everyone was in a bathing suit and smiling. In the Catskills Jews were the majority and there was no external pressure to conform to American values. They had a small Jewish homeland in America for a week and Jenny Grossinger (above photo) was the queen.

The Catskill entertainment tradition began when impresario Boris Thomashevsky built a theatre and brought Yiddish Theatre stars to entertain the vacationing guests. Later on they were followed by Joan Rivers, Myron Cohen, Don Rickles and Henny Youngman. The lecture includes classic photos, movie clips, memorabilia, and a generous helping of the jokes of the master Catskills comedians.