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| Borscht Belt - Ellenville |
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An eastern gateway to the Borscht Belt, Ellenville has attracted visitors since the 19th century. In 1901, the Slutsky family opened the Nevele and Fallsview hotels. Both offered a picturesque valley setting, waterfall, and extensive amenities. The Nevele’s distinctive 10-story tower, skating rink and bas-relief sculpture represent the modernist architecture movement of the mid-20th century.
At its peak in the 1950s, Ellenville had 20 bungalow colonies and 29 hotels such as Jans, Kleinman’s, Sun Ray, Zisselman’s, Arrowhead Lodge, Breeze Lawn Hotel, Echo Hotel, and Melbourne Hotel. It was also home to Mount Cathalia, a Chinese American ski resort.
In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson, the only sitting president to visit the Catskills, dedicated a hospital in Ellenville with Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Both stayed at The Nevele.
Stand-up comedy originated in the Borscht Belt. Comedians such as Lenny Bruce, Red Buttons, Rodney Dangerfield, Phyllis Diller, Gilbert Gottfried, Susie Essman, Shecky Greene, Mal Z. Lawrence, Bill Maher, Jackie Mason, Marilyn Michaels and countless others performed here.
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From the 1920s through the early 1970s, the Borscht Belt was the preeminent summer resort destination for hundreds of thousands of predominantly East Coast American Jews. The exclusion of the Jewish community from existing establishments in the 1920s drove Jewish entrepreneurs to create over 500 resorts, 50,000 bungalows, and 1,000 rooming houses in Sullivan County and parts of Ulster County. The Borscht Belt provided a sense of community for working and vacationing Jews. The era exerted a strong influence on American culture, particularly in the realm of entertainment, music, and sports. Some of the most well-known and influential people of the 20th century worked and vacationed in the areas. Beginning around 1960, the Borscht Belt began a gradual demise due to many factors, including the growth of suburbia, inexpensive airfare, and generational changes.
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