Kutsher’s documentary recalls Borscht Belt relic

When young independent music enthusiasts descended on the antiquated Jewish resort of Kutsher’s for an international indie rock concert series in 2008, it was “kind of like ‘Cocoon’ meets ‘The Shining,’” Barry Hogan recalls in the forthcoming documentary film “Welcome to Kutsher’s: The Last Catskills Resort.”

The comment by Hogan, founder of the All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival organization, exemplifies the widening generational gap that ultimately forced Kutsher’s to close in December 2013. Yet despite the hotel’s obvious state of physical decline, Hogan observes, the venue still had the right charm and “intimate” stage for bands and indie “nerd” fans to raise the roof during electric performances.

Similar nostalgia, pride, and humor characterize the other interviews in “Welcome to Kutsher’s,” which is premiering Dec. 6 in Palm Beach, Fla. 

Now that the Catskills region is in decline, the film honors the legacy of those who made summer memories so colorful for so many generations, and sheds new light on a vibrant chapter of the American Jewish experience.

Mark Kutsher, then the hotel’s owner, was proud to host the indie rock concert series in 2008. Staying true to his family’s inviting and experimenting business style, he admires the youthful spirit and dedication of the festival participants, even though he finds their loud music “physically damaging.” 

Indeed, the famous concert hall at Kutsher’s is a cherished relic of an illustrious past. Ray Charles performed there. Jay Leno, Jerry Seinfeld, the late Joan Rivers, and many other stars made regular appearances at the hotel at some point in their careers. Assembling this cast of characters epitomized the inclusive spirit that was at the heart of the Borscht Belt experience.

We shouldn’t forget that the Jewish resorts in the Catskills “were created in large part because other hotels in the region refused to admit Jews around the turn of the century through the 1930s,” Rosenberg reminds audiences.