A deli chef prepares roast pork sandwiches as a museum official quotes from the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot, often translated as “Ethics of the Fathers.” Saturday’s Borscht Belt Fest was decidedly not kosher, but there was a clear Jewish vibe to it as attendees flocked to Ellenville, N.Y., to reminisce about the golden age of the Catskill Mountains as a Jewish summer getaway.
The first-ever festival, held on July 29 in the searing summer heat, included a street fair, comedy shows, lectures, film screenings and a preview of the Borscht Belt Museum, scheduled to open in 2025.
