The Borscht Belt Museum is Open for Business; Visit it in Ellenville, New York This Summer

The Borscht Belt Festival in Ellenville, New York, celebrated its fourth year last month. Catskills fans from all over descended on the festival at the Borscht Belt Museum for a dose of nostalgia, Jewish comedy, and classic Jewish food as it was served in the hotels of Sullivan and Ulster Counties.

The festival lasted only for a few days but the museum is open during the summer on Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. It's closed on Mondays.

The museum is currently featuring a new exhibit called Catskills Romance: Love and Desire in the Borscht Belt. 

It traces the relationships — both conventional and otherwise — that unfolded across the grand hotels and humble bungalow colonies. It celebrates the resort owners, maitre d’s, social directors (tummlers), dance instructors, and staff who masterminded countless successful matches, and explores the beautiful rituals of courtship that defined Catskills summer. The exhibit highlights the essential spaces, activities, and ingredients that sparked connection:  the poolside scene, the Mambo nights and Champagne Hour competitions, and the world-class entertainment that made the resorts irresistible to singles and couples alike.

Beyond the nostalgia, the exhibition uncovers more complex narratives: tales of hidden desire, lost innocence, and the enduring memories guests carried home long after the season ended. Drawing on rare artifacts, vintage photography, oral histories, and the iconic popular culture the era inspired, Catskills Romance offers an intimate, elegant look at a world where tradition and transgression mingled poolside — and a single dance could change a life forever.

The exhibition contains mature content and is not suitable for all ages. Parental discretion is advised.

Here is a the 3-min film that the museum is showing that describes the history of the Catskills resort era. 

Enjoy!

Comedy Showcase: Rabbi Bob Alper on Rental Cars and the New York State Thruway

The Borscht Belt Festival in Ellenville, New York, is in its fourth year. Last year, Catskills fans from all over descended on the festival at the Borscht Belt Museum for a dose of nostalgia, Jewish comedy, and classic Jewish food as it was served in the hotels of Sullivan and Ulster Counties.

Entertainment for the weekend featured standup comedy headlined by 80-year-old Rabbi Bob Alper who has been performing standup for more than 30 years in addition to his rabbinical duties in Philadelphia and Vermont, where he lives.

In this excerpt from his comedy routine, Rabbi Bob reminisces about an unusual security system in a rental car and driving on the New York State Thruway.

Enjoy!

Comedy Showcase: Rabbi Bob Alper Headlines Comedy Show at Borscht Belt Festival

The Borscht Belt Festival in Ellenville, New York, is in its third year. Last weekend, Catskills fans from all over descended on the festival at the Borscht Belt Museum for a dose of nostalgia, Jewish comedy, and classic Jewish food as it was served in the hotels of Sullivan and Ulster Counties.

Entertainment for the weekend featured standup comedy headlined by 80-year-old Rabbi Bob Alper who has been performing standup for more than 30 years in addition to his rabbinical duties in Philadelphia and Vermont, where he lives.

In this excerpt from his comedy routine, Rabbi Bob reminisces about his first pulpit and the funny encounters he had with children when he was first ordained in Buffalo and teaching in Hebrew school.

Enjoy!

Borscht Belt Street Festival Comes to Ellenville in the Catskills

Hundreds of visitors poured into the Borscht Belt Museum in Ellenville last weekend for a trip down memory lane highlighting hotels, food, culture, and comedy beloved by generations of Jewish families. 

Jeff Fox used to live in Loch Sheldrake and the museum brings back many memories for the resident who now lives on Long Island. “I think it's great. A lot of memorabilia. Love the signs. I remember them all. There’s great memories and food outside at the fair,” said Fox. 

Museum-goers spilled out onto Canal Street to sample a two-day celebration of Jewish food and culture including the star of the show-- Borscht--a creamy, slightly sour soup made from beetroot. “It's like the ultimate comfort food, but it's also healthy. Like you feel better after you eat it. Like it's like my grandma would make it, but it's not like fried food. Like, it's delicious, but also comforting,” said Kathryn Levy of Brooklyn.