What do you think?
Rate this book
A Summer World: The Attempt to Build a Jewish Eden in the Catskills, from the Days of the Ghetto to the Rise and Decline of the Borscht Belt
The story of the attempt to build a Jewish Eden in the Catskills, from the days of the ghetto to the rise and decline of the great resorts.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
Hardcover
First published November 21, 1989
4 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Stefan Kanfer
50 books19 followersStefan Kanfer is the author of fifteen books, including the bestselling biographies of show business icons: GROUCHO; BALL OF FIRE (Lucille Ball); SOMEBODY (Marlon Brando); and TOUGH WITHOUT A GUN (Humphrey Bogart). He has also written many social histories, among them THE LAST EMPIRE, about the De Beers diamond company, and STARDUST LOST, an account of the rise and fall of the Yiddish Theater in New York.
Kanfer also wrote two novels about World War II and served as the only journalist on the President’s Commission on the Holocaust. He was the first by-lined cinema critic for Time magazine, where he worked as writer and editor for more than two decades. He has been given many writing awards and was named a Literary Lion of the New York Public Library. He lives in New York where he serves as a columnist for the City Journal of the Manhattan Institute.
Kanfer also wrote two novels about World War II and served as the only journalist on the President’s Commission on the Holocaust. He was the first by-lined cinema critic for Time magazine, where he worked as writer and editor for more than two decades. He has been given many writing awards and was named a Literary Lion of the New York Public Library. He lives in New York where he serves as a columnist for the City Journal of the Manhattan Institute.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 13, 2019
Stefan Kanfer's "A Summer World: The Attempt to Build A Jewish Eden In the Catskills, from the Days of the Ghetto to the Rise and Decline of the Borscht Belt," was for me like a trip "down Memory Lane."
Kanfer gives account of what the Catskill region of New York State was like in the early 1910's through the 1980's. He begins to tell how the Anti-Semitism was there with the first Jewish settlers there. He then goes into the history of all of the hotels, starting with the Kukylahne's (little cottages) where the landlord would rent our one or two rooms for a family of 10 or more including extended family members--and usually three generations....Kanfer goes into the details of how it would take two hours for the family to get to their rooms for the entire summer--Women all summer and the Men would come up on Thursday nights and then they would leave on Sunday's to get back to their grocery stores, factory jobs, professions in the Lower East Side, then later, home to the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Queens.
Kanfer also compares such hotels as Grossinger's, The Concord, The Nevele, The Pines, The Raliegh, Browns, etc....All of the "ritzy" Mountain hotels where the Jewish people went each summer, for the holidays, etc. Kanfer goes into the history of how all of the old-time comics started out in the ritzy hotels, how the meals were served three times a day (included in the price), Dancing and nightclub included, Sabbath Services, etc. Kanfer reiterates that one of the signs for a successful season was the number of couples who met there and got married
Although very stereotypes, Kanfer books was great up though the Woodstock concert in 1969. I would have liked more detail about the decline from then on through the 1980's....Not too much detail towards the end....But a recommended read for history buffs.
Laura Cobrinik
Boonton Township, NJ
Kanfer gives account of what the Catskill region of New York State was like in the early 1910's through the 1980's. He begins to tell how the Anti-Semitism was there with the first Jewish settlers there. He then goes into the history of all of the hotels, starting with the Kukylahne's (little cottages) where the landlord would rent our one or two rooms for a family of 10 or more including extended family members--and usually three generations....Kanfer goes into the details of how it would take two hours for the family to get to their rooms for the entire summer--Women all summer and the Men would come up on Thursday nights and then they would leave on Sunday's to get back to their grocery stores, factory jobs, professions in the Lower East Side, then later, home to the Bronx, Brooklyn, or Queens.
Kanfer also compares such hotels as Grossinger's, The Concord, The Nevele, The Pines, The Raliegh, Browns, etc....All of the "ritzy" Mountain hotels where the Jewish people went each summer, for the holidays, etc. Kanfer goes into the history of how all of the old-time comics started out in the ritzy hotels, how the meals were served three times a day (included in the price), Dancing and nightclub included, Sabbath Services, etc. Kanfer reiterates that one of the signs for a successful season was the number of couples who met there and got married
Although very stereotypes, Kanfer books was great up though the Woodstock concert in 1969. I would have liked more detail about the decline from then on through the 1980's....Not too much detail towards the end....But a recommended read for history buffs.
Laura Cobrinik
Boonton Township, NJ
March 25, 2021
There was a lot of good content in here, but it was overall kind of difficult to read. Kanfer uses lots of quotes, which are often inadequately explained or syntatically weird. He also assumes a level of knowledge about semi-famous people that I didn't have. And while his writing is good, the narrative sometimes jumps around in a weird way.
June 20, 2024
A summer world: the attempt to build a Jewish Eden in the Catskills from the days of the ghetto to the rise and decline of the Borscht Belt was a little rambly. Many details were intended for Jewish people to understand and appreciate. Since I am not Jewish they went way over my head. I was hoping to enjoy this book more than I did. It was okay. 2 stars
January 19, 2023
Kanfer at his best
A delightful history of the Borscht Belt. So many memorable characters. Put the Catskill resorts in a wide historical context. Hated finishing this!
A delightful history of the Borscht Belt. So many memorable characters. Put the Catskill resorts in a wide historical context. Hated finishing this!
April 12, 2012
The stories are so familiar, leaving one wiping tears of laughter one minute, of sorrow the next; and the pictures could be of anyone's Bubbie and Zeide.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews