GOP presidential candidate says Israel shouldn't get preferential treatment, Twitter places ads next to Hitler content, Texas farmer sends red heifers to Israel, and our favorite headline of the week. |
The Nevele Country Club Stardust Room in Ellenville, New York. (Catskills Borscht Belt Museum) |
The Borscht Belt resorts were abandoned long ago. These signs point to a brighter future. Our culture reporter Irene Katz Connelly traveled to Mountain Dale, New York – once a thriving Borscht Belt hotspot – to see how a new trail of historical markers are paying tribute to a Jewish vacation hub and aiming to spur Catskills tourism. Rise and fall: Borscht Belt resorts launched the careers of comedians including Lenny Bruce and Joan Rivers, dominated the regional economy and shaped the rhythm of life for locals: many grew up valeting cars for tourists and spotting celebrities at the hotels. But in the later part of the 20th century, as antisemitic discrimination eased and airplane travel got cheaper, the resorts shuttered. |
Isaac Jeffreys unveils the Mountain Dale marker. (Courtesy of Marisa Scheinfeld) |
‘Permanent map of our history’: Marisa Scheinfeld, whose grandparents vacationed in the Catskills for decades, grew up witnessing that decline. In 2016, she compiled a photo book of decrepit dining rooms, overgrown pools, and rotting Adirondack chairs. Now she’s launched the Borscht Belt Marker Project. Tourist boom: Locals are already anticipating how new interest in Borscht Belt history could boost the economy. Dara Manzi, who grew up in the area and started a bus transportation company during the pandemic, hopes to offer tours as more markers are installed — and bring customers to local businesses along the way. “They’re gonna have to eat, they’re gonna have to drink, they’re gonna have to sleep somewhere,” she said of prospective tourists. |
Meanwhile: A new Borscht Belt museum in Ellenville, New York, had its inaugural festival last month and is open with special summer pop-up exhibits on resort culture and artist Morris Katz. “We’re tapping into this zeitgeist moment,” the museum’s Andrew Jacobs told our colleagues at the New York Jewish Week, pointing to the popularity of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. |
Dept of corrections: In Wednesday’s newsletter, we misstated what security experts are suggesting synagogues do amid a wake of fake bomb threats. They have not suggested shuls stop live streaming services. |
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the 'only one person who can stop the bleeding,' said one expert. (Getty) |
Netanyahu has resisted internal and external pressure to moderate. Can IDF reservists change that?Thousands of Israeli air force reservists have stopped reporting for duty in protest of the actions of Netanyahu’s far-right government. “The anger is very sincere,” said Ephraim Sneh, a retired IDF Brigadier General. “They say we cannot serve a dictatorial regime. They say this is not the state that we fought for, and that our parents fought for.” Read the story ➤ Related: At protests in Israel, cries for democracy mix with vendors hawking popsicles and soft pretzels. Opinion | Why did two pro-Palestinian protesters who beat up Jews get sentenced to visit a museum?Jewish groups were hoping for prison time, but our columnist Rob Eshman says “the sentence was fair, maybe even a little harsh” because of clarifying facts that came to light long after the incident. He asks: “Did Jewish groups and politicians, fueled by superheated social media and a worrying upswing in antisemitism, turn a street fight into a pogrom?” Read his essay ➤ Plus… New York City Mayor Eric Adams is set to travel to Israel on Monday in a visit focused on technology and combatting antisemitism.
Headline of the week award: These bodaciously herbaceous Jewish ingredients just might make you cuckoo for kuku. |
WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY |
Vivek Ramaswamy during an interview earlier this month in Miami. (Getty)
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💰 Vivek Ramaswamy, a tech entrepreneur and Republican presidential candidate, said the U.S. should not give Israel more aid than others in the Middle East. “There’s no North Star commitment to any one country, other than the United States of America,” he said. (JTA) 🤦 After a news report brought attention to Twitter placing ads for major brands alongside a verified account promoting Hitler, the social platform suspended the account. (Messenger, Media Matters) 🩺 Israel will resume giving health and social benefits to Ukrainian refugees, at least until the end of the year. It had stopped due to a lack of funding. (Haaretz, Times of Israel) 🇵🇾 The new president of Paraguay said he would move his country’s embassy in Israel back to Jerusalem, joining the U.S., Kosovo, Honduras and Guatemala. His predecessor had moved it to Tel Aviv, prompting Israel to close its mission in the Paraguayan capital. (JTA) 🤝 Prisoners in concentration camps who maintained social bonds with a family member or friend had a higher chance or survival, according to a new study. (Wall Street Journal) 🐮 A Christian farmer from Texas spent half-a-million dollars sending five red heifers to Israel to recreate a Biblical ceremony. (Star-Telegram)
Long weekend reads ➤ Who the big Jewish donors are backing in the 2024 GOP presidential primaries ... A boat trip aimed at saving the Dead Sea also explores the marvels revealed by its evaporation … Can a Holocaust museum in a video game fight antisemitism?
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A car taking part in a 1913 women’s suffrage parade on Long Island, New York. (Getty) |
On this day in history (1920): The 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women in the U.S. the right to vote. Here’s a look at two Jewish suffragists who are often forgotten. |
Thousands of Hasidic men converged for the funeral of the Rachmastrivka Rebbe in Borough Park, Brooklyn, on Wednesday. He was 92. --- Thanks to Irene Katz Connelly, Rebecca Salzhauer and Talya Zax for contributing to today’s newsletter. You can reach the “Forwarding” team at [email protected]. |
Support Independent Jewish Journalism The Forward is a non-profit 501(c)3 so our journalism depends on support from readers like you. You can support our work today by donating or subscribing. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of US law. Make a donation ➤ Subscribe to Forward.com ➤ "America’s most prominent Jewish newspaper" — The New York Times, 2021 |
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