In the early 1900s, when Jews and other minorities were banned from upscale hotels and beaches around New York City, the Catskills offered refuge. Every summer, families fled their cramped apartments for the mountains.

The Catskill Mountains, famously known as the Borscht Belt, became a premier vacation destination for Jewish families in the early to mid-20th century primarily due to widespread antisemitism. Many mainstream resorts and hotels at the time practiced exclusionary policies, often using advertisements that explicitly stated "Gentiles Only" or "No Hebrews." In response, Jewish entrepreneurs established their own resorts, bungalow colonies, and summer camps where guests could enjoy the American leisure experience in a culturally comfortable environment. These resorts offered kosher dining, Yiddish-speaking staff, and a sense of community that allowed immigrants and their children to assimilate while preserving their heritage. At its peak in the 1950s and 1960s, the region hosted over 500 establishments and became a legendary training ground for iconic Jewish comedians like Jerry Lewis and Mel Brooks, forever shaping American entertainment history.