ELLENVILLE, NY — The Borscht Belt Fest celebrated its fourth year the weekend of July 25 and 26 in Ellenville, compliments and kudos to the Borscht Belt Museum.

It was just as the brochure said: “A time of comedy, cuisine and culture,” not necessarily in that order.

I was fortunate to attend an event on Saturday at the aptly named bookstore the Common Good. The program, titled “Before Woodstock: The Music of the original Catskills Counterculture,” focused on the two panelists, Lita Slutsky Newman Moses and her son, Daniel Noah Moses, discussing the Arrowhead Lodge in Ellenville where Lita grew up. 

RR photo by Benita Goldstein

Lita’s book, “ The Red Hotel: Tribute to a Lost World,” delves into her life at the Arrowhead Lodge. It had already been a left-wing hotel owned and operated by her mom’s brothers and sisters in the 1930s when Lita’s parents bought it in the late 1940s.

The book’s title represents the time of the Red Scare in the 1940s and 1950s, which affected Lita’s life as her mother continued her siblings' tradition of welcoming outlier performers like black singer and activist Paul Robeson, and musicians Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie, in addition to guests of all colors.

This was a huge undertaking during the McCarthy era and resulted in constant visits from disguised  FBI agents using scare tactics, Nita said. She cites the Nevele, which was also owned by another part of the Slutsky family, as the complete antithesis. There, music was more cha-cha than steeped in music that promoted equality for all.

The history of this time has not gone unnoticed as musicians like Bruce Springsteen continue carrying forward protest songs.

The Borscht Belt, also known as the “Jewish Alps,” emphasized fun as well, and what could be more enjoyable than eating? The region was famous for its food, both in style and abundance. Attending a brisket dinner Saturday night seemed like a good way to reinvigorate a taste for those times; there was gefilte fish, matzo ball soup and potato pancakes(latkes) with a huge platter of rugelach, brownies and other delectables. 

The generosity in food was also reflected by the mood of people present. It did not surprise me when the lovely lady sitting next to me asked if I would like her tickets to the comedy show that night. I humbly took them and thanked her for her generosity even though she said she was too tired to go. Watching the comedians at the Shadowland Studio gave everyone  present a huge taste of laughter and smiles as a great close to the first day.

On Sunday, Canal Street was closed to traffic, which opened up venues for food, music and for some, dance. 

Aroma Thyme Bistro continued the fun with a Borscht Belt Brunch. Then there were events featuring ventriloquism to the Great Kugel Cook-off. A Simon Sez contest was  also in play as it had been for most of the years at the hotels. And just when you think what’s next? there it is: “Nosh, Nurture and Narrative: A Live Taping of the ‘Meet Me at the Deli’ podcast.”

While I was serving as a volunteer at the Borscht Belt Museum for most of the afternoon, people kept coming to see the exhibit on Romance, many of them taking photos by the sculpture of an oversized wedding cake. 

The flow of people entering the building was nonstop, with a plaque on the wall noting this had been a former bank that loaned money to minorities who could not get loans, including those people who would build some of the best hotels in the Borscht Belt.

Some of the visitors had a purple ticket, which meant they had taken the bus from Brooklyn to Ellenville. This was a special trip that included comedian Willie Zabar helping people pass the time in the best way possible: through laughter.

Photo courtesy of the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum

After dinner at Gaby’s, unkosher but delicious Mexican food, it was time to see the last show starring Harrison Greenbaum. His comedic event had everyone rolling with more laughter while he took snippets of stories and created a hilarious masterpiece of comedy. You know you’ve laughed too much when your mouth feels tired but you want more, something like savoring too much good food.

The Borscht Belt Fest brought back nostalgia for us all as we look forward to what next year will bring. Go to BorschtBeltmuseum.org for more info.