As a kid, I always dreamed that a real honest-to-goodness time machine was possible. I’d find myself glued to books, movies and television shows about time travel, including H.G. Wells’ 1895 novel and the two subsequent films bearing the same title. While movies like “The Terminator” and “Interstellar” warned us about time travel, lighthearted looks at the past like “Back to the Future,” “Groundhog Day” and “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” amused. 

In a sense, museums are time machines, too. If not a machine per se, they certainly serve as time capsules, described by the Google as “a container storing a selection of objects chosen as being typical of a time period, buried for discovery in the future.”

The museum that springs to mind today is the Borscht Belt Museum, located in Ellenville, NY. According to Smithsonian Magazine, “by the 1950s, more than 1,000 Jewish resorts dotted the Catskills, with accommodations ranging from camps and bungalow colonies, to hotels and resorts within Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties.”

With that in mind, the powers that be at the museum came up with a way to bring the memories of what became “a haven for generations of Jewish Americans” to vivid life in the form of the Borscht Belt Film Fest, (BBFF) now in its third year of presenting films, events and documentaries, peppered with discussions and presentations, sprinkled with food and fun. 

“Celebrate the ‘Golden Era’ of the Catskills” the opening night invitation read, “and kick off the festival with an unforgettable evening of nostalgia, cinema and an award ceremony honoring the late Elaine Grossinger Etess with the Borscht Belt Legacy Award, to be accepted on her behalf by daughter and son Susan and Mitchell Etess.”

Additionally the invite revealed that film star Josh Mostel, (“Billy Madison,” “Wall Street,” “Sophie’s Choice”)—“son of Tony-winning legend Zero Mostel” (“Fiddler on the Roof,” “A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum”) would be honored with the Mensch Award. That would take place following the screening of Bungalow Media and Entertainment’s documentary “We Met at Grossingers”—which of course was a sprawling vacation destination that has often been considered to be the ultimate Borscht Belt Resort experience back in the day.

“Oh, boy!” I shouted at the dog, who was licking her lips. “Let’s go!” and so we did, looking forward to the “Grossingers” screening, the award ceremony and the promise of a good “nosh”—composed of chopped liver (but of course!), egg creams made on the premises, knishes and an assortment of traditional Jewish baked goods and desserts.

Before taking my seat in the gorgeous Shadowland Stages theater, I schmoozed (that’s right—it’s a Yiddish word) with fellow BBFF enthusiasts, reminiscing about visiting the “Jewish Alps” with my parents when I was a little kid, and the memories that still live on in my own personal time machine, causing me to feel both young and old, simultaneously.

Described as “an immersive journey through the Jewish Catskills—once known as the Borscht Belt,” the film “We Met at Grossinger’s” revives the “iconic resort that inspired ‘Dirty Dancing’ and defined an era of Jewish American Life.” The documentary, as directed by Paula Eiselt, evokes the sights and sounds of a bygone era—tinged with joy, laughter and a few tears along the way, focusing on the amazing, inspiring (IMHO) women who made it all possible.

Dubbed “The Woman Who Built the Waldorf of the Catskills,” Jennie Grossinger “learned to play the role of hostess,” taking over where her mother had begun, building the place from its humble beginnings as a boarding house into a 35-building, 600-room luxury resort, where families flocked to spend leisure time, be it for a weekend or a season, while taking in the fresh air, escaping from the pre-air conditioning summer heat of New York City. 

Sumptuous meals and a growing roster of young entertainers, such as newcomers like Mel Brooks, Sid Caesar, Jackie Mason and Joan Rivers, added to the allure of Grossinger’s. There Jennie played hostess to the likes of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, who married on the premises, before Fisher tied the knot with Elizabeth Taylor, helping to cement Grossinger’s legacy as the place to be in the Catskills.

Leaving no stone unturned, Jennie, who had a hand in “virtually every aspect of the business” also attracted sports figures—inviting Jackie Robinson, Rocky Marciano and Tenly Albright, the Olympic champion figure skater who performed exhibitions on Grossinger’s famous ice rink.

The list of notables goes on, including Eleanor Roosevelt, who began her public commentary on Jewish life with derision, morphing into great respect for Jennie and the world introduced to her at Grossinger’s. 

Following Jennie’s death in 1972, her daughter Elaine took the reins, continuing its legacy with talent and determination, eventually becoming the first woman president of the American Hotel Association, which led to her being appointed to the U.S. President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, among other notable accomplishments.

Watching the inspiring story of these amazing women was an eye opener, and sent me reeling through time, recalling my mother’s excitement of spending leisure time with friends in a “safe space” where Jews could congregate without antisemitism rearing its ugly head. 

Not only that, but my father’s drinking problem resurfaced in tandem with the carefree days of simply being a kid, when I cavorted with youthful abandon in what seemed like the largest playground on earth.

I learned to swim at the Vestal Hills Country Club under the watchful eye of Barbara Fox—in part to prepare for time in the Catskills, where our parents confidently left us in the hands of the wonderful staffers who seemed to love being there as much as the guests. 

Watching “We Met at Grossinger’s” and having the opportunity to meet members of the iconic resort’s family, while taking in the plethora of memorabilia housed in the museum, served as a round-trip ticket in the time machine of my mind last week. 

I’m grateful for the stroll down memory lane, and being just old enough to recall what turned out to be the last years of the Borscht Belt heyday, and for the reminder of what once was. Memories of the Borscht Belt encompass it all—the good, the bad and the ugly. These days, with the help of the museum and the Film Fest, I prefer to focus on the good.

For more, visit www.borschtbeltmuseum.org.

Ask the Google: What is a knish?

Answer: “A baked or fried snack food of Eastern European origin, characteristic of Ukrainian and Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine.”

Oh, and this: “‘Mensch’ is an informal term meaning ‘a person of integrity and honor.”