Boulder Jewish Film Festival: We Met at Grossinger’s
Saturday, October 31 at Grace Gamm Theatre, Boulder
Grace Gamm Theatre $20.70
About this event
TICKETS Built and run by three generations of trailblazing women, the Catskills’ premier resort became the epicenter of American Jewish life, an embodiment of Jewish values, and a breeding ground for a generation of Jewish comics. The real-life inspiration for “Dirty Dancing,” it accommodated 1,000 guests a day and featured a 27-hole golf course, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis, boating, horseback riding, flying lessons on its private airstrip, dancing – and in the winter skiing, sledding and skating – a mountain of food, around-the-clock entertainment, and the best singers and comics in the world. This nostalgic ode to the bygone glory of Grossinger’s is above all a homage to Jennie Grossinger, whose charm, hospitality and business acumen were crucial to the resort’s unrivaled success. Jennie was also a champion of civil rights who used her position to welcome African American athletes and performers, who became personal friends. The Catskill resorts were created to serve the needs of Jews excluded from American life. By welcoming a wide range of celebrities and politicians, Grossinger’s served as a model of inclusion that reflected and shaped a changing America. Documentary/104 minutes/In English/2026 Directed by Paula Eiselt
What to expect
The film is an English-language documentary about Grossinger's, the Catskills resort that took in 1,000 guests a day. It covers the golf course, pools, private airstrip, endless food and round-the-clock entertainment. The film is a nostalgic tribute, built around Jennie Grossinger and the three generations of women who ran the place. It also looks at how the resort welcomed Black athletes and performers, and at what it meant to Jews shut out of American life.
Why go
The film covers Jewish comedy, civil rights and a piece of American history. It is a good pick for anyone curious about the Catskills resort era or the "Dirty Dancing" backstory. The Grace Gamm is a small theater inside the Dairy Arts Center, so the screening feels close and unhurried. It is one of the screenings in the festival's run at the Dairy.
Where
Grace Gamm Theatre · Walnut Street · Boulder CODirections