If there’s one joke that might sum up the Catskills experience — the buckle on the Borscht comedy Belt — it’s the oldie but goodie that dates back nearly 100 years, attributed to cartoonist Harry Hershfield in 1927.
Two women talk at a train station.
Woman One: “You don’t like the eating at the ‘Benjamin Arms,’ Mrs. Margolies?”
Woman Two: “No, it was terrible! Every mouthful was positively poison — and what small portions they give you of it!”
Woody Allen mined the same joke for laughs in “Annie Hall” in 1977.
Now, “And Such Small Portions!” is the first half of the title of a new exhibit at the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum in Ellenville, New York. The second half of the title — “Food and Comedy in the Catskills Resort Area” — explains why the joke is the gold standard for mountain resort humor. It blends food, comedy and a little kvetching (complaining).
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The exhibit, which opened July 4 and runs through the summer, takes the long view, going back to old world traditions and then exploring the development of the Catskills, the changing of farmland to boarding houses and bungalows, and the advent of the resorts that would attract Jewish vacationers by the droves and come to be known as the Borscht Belt.
The summer’s big Catskills to-do is the 2024 Borscht Belt Fest July 26-28, with heaping portions of nostalgia and comedy, music and panel talks at several locations throughout Ellenville, a small Ulster County village off Route 17. It is an annual event produced by the museum, which bills itself as "dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Borscht Belt resort era, and celebrating its history as a refuge from bigotry, the cradle of stand-up comedy and a cultural catalyst that left deep imprints on America."
In addition to street fair vendors, food trucks and artisans, there are all sorts of events and discussions, a game of “Simon Says,” a “Great Babka Bake-off,” and a screening of “Dirty Dancing,” the quintessential Borscht Belt film. (Highlights below, see the full schedule at www.borschtbeltfest.org.)
The fest weekend kicks off with the unveiling of a historical marker at 5 p.m. on July 26 in Resnick Park, next to the Catskills Borscht Belt Museum at 90 Canal St., in Ellenville.
‘And Such Small Portions’
The Borscht Belt Museum’s new exhibition, “And Such Small Portions!” celebrates the nexus of food and comedy in the Catskills Resort era and "how the interplay of food and humor in Borscht Belt dining rooms, kitchens, and theaters shaped a uniquely Jewish American culture that still thrives today."
Curated by Debra Schmidt Bach (New-York Historical Society), Steve Jaffe (Museum of the City of NY) and Mackensie Griffin, (Bard Graduate Center), it's interactive and educational, with plenty of nostalgia. It plays on a range of the artificacts, the permanent and the ephemeral.
There are menus, from Brown’s Hotel Royal, the Aladdin, the Brickman, the Pines Coffee Shop, Grossinger’s and the Concord.
There are bungalow stoves and Dairylea milk bottles, invoices for poultry and produce. And photos, lots of photos. Of performers and waitstaffs, of the air-conditioned main dining room at the Concord Hotel and the outdoor buffet at Grossinger’s. There’s stainless steel and Bakelite. And, perhaps in a nod to food and comedy, there are at least three seltzer bottles, which were a fizzy fixture of some comedy routines.
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Performers are here: Zero Mostel and Danny Kaye, Buddy Hackett and Red Buttons. Jackie Mason, Shecky Greene and Ben Vereen.
There’s flatware from the Concord and a dinner plate from Nevele. And recipe books.
Borscht Belt Fest 2024
Throughout the fest weekend in late July, fest-goers can take part in an oral history project, recording their personal Catskills stories at the museum. Reservations are recommended as slots fill up. (Get a slot at https://www.borschtbeltmuseum.org/oral-history-project.)
Here’s a look at the Borscht Belt Fest 2024 highlights:
Friday, July 26
7 p.m. “Cocktails and Comedy Kick-off.”
Saturday, July 27
11:30 a.m. “Borscht Belt Talks: My Daddy the Comedian” with the children of Morty Gunty, Freddie Roman, Dick Lord and Vic Arnell.
12:30 p.m. Steve Max: Simon Sez. An epic game of “Simon Says” takes over Liberty Square.
1:30 p.m. “Borscht Belt Talks: Breaking Barriers — Sports & Race in the Catskills.” A panel considers how the Catskill resorts chipped away at segregation.
2 p.m. Great Babka Bake-off: Bakers can submit their babkas by registering at events@borschtbeltmuseum.org.
3:30 p.m. “Borscht Belt Talks: The Shtetl Kitchen — Roots of New York Jewish Foods.” The history and context for everything from lakes and blintzes to pastrami and pickles.
4 p.m. “Borscht Belt Talks: Catskill Kleptomaniacs & More Borscht Belt Memorabilia.” Behind-the-scenes stories from museum archivist.
8:30 p.m. “Dirty Dancing” outdoors. Come dressed as your favorite character and sing along while quoting your favorite lines from the quintessential Catskills film.
Sunday, July 28
9:30 a.m. “Meet the Archivist: Sunday Brunch and Field Trip” (sold out). Borscht Belt archivist Allen Frishman conducts a tour of his home, which could be a museum itself.
11 a.m. “Borscht Belt Talks: All About Kugel – Sweet, Savory and Comforting.” Culinary historian dishes on the classic casserole.
12 p.m. “Borscht Belt Story Hour” story slam. Tell your 5-minute Catskills story on stage.
1 p.m. “Borscht Belt Talks: Cousin Brucie’s ‘Dirty Dancing’ Affair.” The radio icon talks about his role in the famous film.
3 p.m. “Borscht Belt Serenade” cabaret with Broadway’s Jill Abramovitz.
5 p.m. “The Jackie Mason Musical” cabaret.
Going to the Catskill Borscht Belt Museum
What: The Catskill Borscht Belt Museum
Where: 90 Canal St., Ellenville, New York
When: Open Thursdays to Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.
Admission: $15 suggested donation. (Tickets to Borscht Belt Fest are sold separately at www.borschtbeltfest.org.)
Web: www.borschtbeltmuseum.org
Reach Peter D. Kramer at pkramer@gannett.com.
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