Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Join us for a summer evening screening of We Met at Grossinger’s — a transporting new documentary about the legendary Catskills resort — followed by a conversation with director Paula Eiselt, producer Robert Friedman, and Susan Etess, granddaughter of the founders of Grossinger’s. It’s a chance to go behind the scenes of the film and back inside one of the most storied places in Jewish American life.
Grossinger’s was the glamorous heart of the Catskills: a world of tummlers and tennis courts, comedians and cabanas, romance, rivalry, and enough buffet to sustain a small republic. The resort that helped inspire Dirty Dancing became a defining stage for Jewish American culture and comedy — the place where families returned summer after summer, stars came to play, and a generation learned that leisure could be loud, lavish, and very well catered.
But the Borscht Belt was never just a vacation. Built in response to a country that too often shut Jewish families out of its hotels, clubs, and beaches, Grossinger’s became something bigger: a sanctuary of belonging, joy, ambition, and reinvention. Led by the formidable Jennie Grossinger (the “Queen of Hospitality”), it helped transform exclusion into a culture of wit, style, community, and resilience.
With extraordinary footage and first-hand stories, We Met at Grossinger’s brings that lost world vividly back to life — funny, bittersweet, and deeply American.
This talk was recorded on Jul 12, 2026, at The 92nd Street Y, New York.
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Join us for a summer evening screening of We Met at Grossinger’s — a transporting new documentary about the legendary Catskills resort — followed by a conversation with director Paula Eiselt, producer Robert Friedman, and Susan Etess, granddaughter of the founders of Grossinger’s. It’s a chance to go behind the scenes of the film and back inside one of the most storied places in Jewish American life.
Grossinger’s was the glamorous heart of the Catskills: a world of tummlers and tennis courts, comedians and cabanas, romance, rivalry, and enough buffet to sustain a small republic. The resort that helped inspire Dirty Dancing became a defining stage for Jewish American culture and comedy — the place where families returned summer after summer, stars came to play, and a generation learned that leisure could be loud, lavish, and very well catered.
But the Borscht Belt was never just a vacation. Built in response to a country that too often shut Jewish families out of its hotels, clubs, and beaches, Grossinger’s became something bigger: a sanctuary of belonging, joy, ambition, and reinvention. Led by the formidable Jennie Grossinger (the “Queen of Hospitality”), it helped transform exclusion into a culture of wit, style, community, and resilience.
With extraordinary footage and first-hand stories, We Met at Grossinger’s brings that lost world vividly back to life — funny, bittersweet, and deeply American.
This talk was recorded on Jul 12, 2026, at The 92nd Street Y, New York.
Your support helps us continue creating online content for our community. Donate now: 92NY.org/Donate
Facebook: facebook.com/92ndStreetY
Instagram: Instagram.com/92ndStreetY
TikTok: tiktok.com/@92ndstreety
Archives: 92ny.org/archives
