Stand-up comedians share their best shtick while former waiters, entertainers, and dance instructors recount tales of the family-run resorts and bungalows that inspired films like “Dirty Dancing” in this humorous and nostalgic tribute to what became affectionately known as the Borscht Belt. “The Catskills” features home movies, publicity photos, postcards, and menus; a time capsule providing and overview of Jewish immigration to New York going back to the early 20th century. Director Lex Gillespie maps the development of the vacation destination, from a refuge for working-class Jews seeking a respite from poverty in overcrowded New York City tenements to a lavish summer playground for the affluent. Admission to the film, to be shown, 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 1, at the Rosendale Theatre, 408 Main St., Rosendale is $18/$25 mensch with proceeds from ticket sales benefiting the Borscht Belt Film Festival, a project of the Borscht Belt Museum. For more information, visit rosendaletheatre.org or call 845-658-8989.
photo caption
“The Catskill” Director Lex Gillespie maps the development of the vacation destination, from a refuge for working-class Jews seeking a respite from poverty in overcrowded New York City tenements to a lavish summer playground for the affluent.