For generations, the Catskills resort industry helped shape Jewish American culture and launch some of the biggest names in American entertainment. Among its most celebrated destinations was Grossinger’s, the sprawling Sullivan County resort that became a gathering place for families, entertainers and celebrities.

A new documentary, We Met at Grossinger’s, revisits the resort’s history and its influence on American culture. Directed by Paula Eiselt, the film screens Friday as part of the third annual Borscht Belt Film Fest in Ellenville.

Eiselt says she initially knew the lore of the Borscht Belt but had little familiarity with Grossinger’s specific history. Through the filmmaking process, she came to understand its significance well beyond the resort industry.

“It was not just to Jewish identity and culture, American Jewish identity and culture, but American history at large in terms of entertainment and comedy, of course, food, leisure time,” Eiselt said.

The resort began as a modest boardinghouse established by the Grossinger family, who wanted to escape the Lower East Side and find relief from New York City’s summer heat. At a time when Jewish Americans faced restrictions at other hotels, Grossinger’s offered a welcoming place to gather.

Eiselt describes its evolution as a story of immigrants creating something of their own that ultimately became part of the broader American experience.

The film also revisits the connection to Dirty Dancing, which was based on Grossinger’s but, Eiselt says, largely left out its Jewish identity.

“This is a truer, authentic kind of behind-the-scenes of what this really was and why it was built,” she said.

Ultimately, Eiselt sees Grossinger’s as a story of what immigrant communities contribute to American culture.

“When we were able to be ourselves in a space, we thrived and … contributed to culture far beyond the Jewish community,” she said.

Editor’s Note: The Borscht Belt Film Festival is a financial supporter of Radio Catskill.