As a building inspector for the town of Fallsburg, Allen Frischman witnessed the bulldozing of countless dilapidated hotels and bungalows dotting the Catskill Mountains.
But realizing that he was familiar with the last ruins of the Borscht belt era, Frischmann collected signs, telephone booths, porcelain tables, chairs, Chochike rescued Ephemera.
“There were a lot of vestiges of the heyday,” Frischmann said recently. “The family has moved away from their property.”
Frishman, who documented his discoveries in his book Tales of a Catskill Mountain Plumber, kept mementos in two sheds behind his Mountain Dale home.
“A very important part of Americana will disappear unless we provide a safe haven for our items, our stories and our photographs,” said Frischmann, 72.
His collection will soon make its way to a new museum in the village of Ellenville in County Ulster. The museum commemorates the period from approximately his 1920s to his early 1970s, when thousands of Jewish vacationers came to the Catskills in the summer. Borscht his belt museum plans are announced and the first event is held. — this summer.
Thank you Mrs. Maisel
The museum acquired a 1928 Neo-Georgian building in Ellenville, which was once home to the National Bank, which played a role in the heyday of the borscht belt. According to the museum’s founder, Home National is one of the few banks to fund Jewish hoteliers and bungalow owners in his colony.
The pop-up exhibit, featuring artifacts from Frischmann’s collection and other objects, will debut in the museum’s main hall on July 1 and run through the fall, though it’s planned for a full opening in two years. provide flavor. On July 29th, his first Borscht Belt Fest will be held at several locations in Ellenville.
The festival “puts Ellenville and the Catskills back on the cultural map,” said Andrew Jacobs of Wawarsing, co-chair of the museum’s board of trustees.
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This nonprofit is riding a wave of interest in the region’s history.
“This is a real zeitgeist moment,” said Jacobs, 57. The importance and interest of this period. Yes, it was spurred on by The Marvelous Mrs. His Maisel, but there is also a growing interest in mid-century modern design and culture. “
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Jacobs added that the museum project felt a sense of urgency with an aging generation of Jews who found rest in the “mountains” in a time when they were not welcomed elsewhere.
The list of members of the museum’s advisory board includes Fran Drescher, Harvey Fierstein, Judd Hirsch, Robert Klein, and Richard Lewis.
The group purchased the building for $468,000 from Somerset Properties, which is developing The Nevele, once one of the area’s iconic hotels, into a luxury resort and residence.
Upon completion for its planned spring 2025 opening, the museum will present archival film and audio, lectures and film series, instructional materials for educators, and interactive activities and workshops.
The board has raised over $250,000 of the project’s $5 million budget. This includes design, renovation, and operating costs. Most of the funding so far has come from Foundation grants and individual donors.
He is optimistic about private and public support for the museum, which he believes is Ellenville’s economic engine. It’s a village where the influx of new residents and businesses has created a sense of optimism.
“There are definitely millions of people who have had very memorable experiences in the Catskills,” Jacobs said.
Marking the history of the borscht belt
Museums aren’t the only projects celebrating the region’s past glory this year.
The first of nine dedications by Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project It will be held this spring and summer.
According to photographer and author Marisa Scheinfeld, who grew up in the Catskills and now lives in Katona, the first marker will be unveiled at 4:30 p.m. on May 25 at the Ethelbert B. Crawford Library in Monticello. be done.
Afterwards, the documentary “Welcome to Kutsher’s” will be screened, followed by a Q&A with directors Ian Rosenberg and Caroline Raskow.
Dedication ceremonies for two more markers will take place in August in the towns of Mountaindale and Swanlake, with additional signs set to debut this fall at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello and Fallsburg.
mountain of memories
The Borscht Belt Museum will celebrate its new home at 90 Canal St. in Ellenville with two events in July.
- Pop-up display of memorabilia collection from July 1st.
- The first Borscht Belt Fest will take place on July 29th with a street fair of food vendors. panel discussion; stand-up comedy performance on Ellenville’s Shadowland stage;
Info: Visit borschtbeltmuseum.org or send an email info@borschtbeltmuseum.org
Robert Brum is a freelance journalist writing about the Hudson Valley. Please contact him and read his work.robertbrum.com.
