The Borscht Belt Museum is dedicated to preserving the legacy of the Catskills resort era, and celebrating its history as a refuge from bigotry, the cradle of stand-up comedy and a cultural catalyst that changed America.
Events
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April Showers Laughter Showcase!
With spring just around the corner, it’s time to laugh off those lingering winter blues. Join Ellenville native and retired Nevele bellhop Alejandro Morales as he welcomes Tonight Show alum Jess Salomon and viral star Noam Shuster-Eliassi for a chuckle-rich night of standup comedy.
Jess, a New York-based Canadian, has been nominated for 2025 comedy album of the year at the Juno Awards (the Canadian Grammy’s) for Sad Witch.
Fun fact: She worked as a U.N. war crimes lawyer before becoming a comedian. The jury is still out on whether this was a good move.
Noam, who grew up in an intentionally mixed Palestinian-Jewish community in Israel, was the first Jewish comedian to perform at the Palestine Comedy Festival. Noam performs in Hebrew, Arabic, and English and is currently the main character in Coexistence My Ass, a new documentary that follows her work.
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Newest Exhibit: “And Such Small Portions!”
RE-OPENS MAY 1
The Borscht Belt Museum’s new exhibition, “And Such Small Portions!” Food and Comedy in the Catskills Resort Era, celebrates the vibrant history, cherished rituals and irresistible humor of food and comedy in the Catskills Resort era.
Curated by Debra Schmidt Bach (New-York Historical Society), Steve Jaffe (Museum of the City of NY) and Mackensie Griffin, (Bard Graduate Center), this interactive visual journey is inspiring, educational and deliciously fun.
This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of the Chaya Fund, the Victor and Pearl Tumpeer Foundation, Slutsky Lumber and Timely Signs.
We Reopen May 1!
Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11 am- 5pm
Closed Mondays
90 Canal St., Ellenville, NY
Admission: $15 for adults
$5 for Wawarsing/Ellenville residents
Free: 18 and under.
Questions? Email info@borschtbeltmusuem.org or call 845-879-3561.
The Borscht Belt Resort Era
For much of the 20th century, urban dwellers, many of them Jews, migrated en masse each summer to the Catskill mountains 90 miles north of New York City. They were seeking escape from the pestilence and sweltering tenements of the city, but also from rampant antisemitism that barred Jews from most hotels.
The vacation world they created included nearly 1,000 resorts, bungalow colonies and boarding houses, and a vibrant nightlife that drew the nation’s top entertainers — and a parade of sports figures, political leaders and civil rights activists.
Keep in Touch!
Engaging, Interactive, Educational
The Borscht Belt Museum occupies the historic Home National Bank, a 1928 Neo-Georgian gem that has strong links to the Borscht Belt era. The Home National Bank was one of the few financial institutions willing to lend to the region's Jewish hoteliers and bungalow colony owners in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.
Actor and comedian Danny Kaye with resort owner Jennie Grossinger.
Boxer Floyd Patterson trains at Kutsher’s for a title fight.
President Lyndon B. Johnson meets Homowack Lodge owners Irv and Florence Blickstein during a visit to the Catskills in 1966.