MORE JEWS IN CHURCH

  As you’ve noticed I’ve tried to follow a rough chronology of the Catskills as we come and go, touching on contemporary, as well as historical  issues. Any discussion of these mountains has to include the Jewish diaspora. The above image was sent to me by Jeremy Floto. He was on a photo shoot in Miami and recognized the familiar building on the book’s cover. It is a photo of the Congregation Anshei synagogue in Glen Wild, NY, otherwise known as The Old Shul for Social Sculpture, which I own. I ordered the book, but as yet haven’t received my copy. I reached out to Holli Levitsky who forwarded my email to Phil Brown. Here’s his reply:        

 Hi Mike

Holli Levitsky forwarded your message.  I took the photo that is on the cover. I know the family who lived across the way. If you read the Intro in the book you will see  our connections to the area, including mention of John Gerson who gave land for the shul; the deep connection to Rosenblatt's Hotel (the place where Reuben Wallenrod worked, making his book a key impetus to our book Summer Haven); and  Abe and Dave Jaffe  whom I interviewed in 1993 - founders of the shul.

In Jewish Farmers of the Catskills, Abe Lavender and Clarence Steinberg write about the shul.

Who owned it when you bought it?

For our archives, please send photos of the shul. 

Thanks

Phil

Phil Brown,                

University Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Health Sciences

Director, Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute

Northeastern University

     I sent the professor some shul pics and a link to a recent article by Hilary Danailova in Hadassah Magazine—“Young Jews Are Bringing the Catskills Back to Life.” Shout out to Josh Druckman and Marisa Scheinfeld, who are both prominently featured. This article gives a rough timeline of Jewish influence in the Catskills starting with Asher Selig Grossinger’s purchase of a “$450 chicken farm in Liberty.” in 1914. That chicken farm became the world famous Grossinger’s Hotel, joining The Concord, Kutshers’ Browns, Pines, Zucker’s and The Raleigh, et al in forming the Borsht Belt. For my Jewish timeline I would go back to Asher Levy’s kosher slaughter house, serving his community in Fort Orange (Albany) in 1661. Either way, we can all agree that Jews have been in the Catskills for a very long time and more are coming every day.

   Today, as in days of old, the relationship between the Jewish community and the local goyim enclaves is in a  constant state of flux and reappraisal. Early brochures hyping vacation property on Wolf Lake describe it as a “Christian community.” That’s odd. Wouldn’t you think the so-called Christians would first build a church on the lake? The closest thing they have to sanctuary is a clubhouse. This blatantly prejudiced, legal at the time, real estate scam hawking lake front property in the 1940’s, was a not so subtle way of declaring NO JEWS ALLOWED. The Catskills have always been (and continue to be) a community divided along religious lines.

    

    I’ve fought against this division since I returned to the sticks in the 1990’s. My art (billboards with Hebrew lettering) the purchase of the shul, and various sculptures in Mountain Dale all reflect what I like to call “engagement” with the Jewish community. It is not always perceived as such. The God Loves Fags (in English and Hebrew) billboard was broken in half by Hassidic teenagers on a karate chopping tear. The God Loves Dykes billboard and the Cruciselfie  were both defaced with black spray paint in Mountain Dale, and the shul's stained glass windows have been attacked by rock throwing assailants. This may or may not be sectarian violence, as the Old Shul’s side displays a bold, decidedly anti-Trump message. Could just be hillbilly politics. 

    Nonetheless, I have plenty of Jewish friends and more and more Jews come to church every service. There is no denominational or sectarian division at the CLGM. What I see as engagement, the more fundamentalist in the hood (Christian and Jewish alike) see as provocation. They are missing the point. All my interaction with Hassidim or Christianity is not always cordial, but most is. All I have to do is open the doors of the church or shul and you can be assured someone of faith will stop by out of curiosity. Like the sign says: All are Welcome. The conversation continues. I can’t wait for YOUNG JEWS II.