Borscht Belt Bungalows

Irwin Richman, Professor of American Studies and History at Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg and author of Catskills, NY, has spent at least part of every summer of his life in the Catskills. Richman grew up in the bungalow colony business. His parents Alexander and Bertha owned a small colony, and his grandfather Abraham was in the mortgage business. From an early age Irwin went along on the detailed site visits to other colonies that were made prior to granting loans. He also worked as a counselor and as a camp director at their large colonies.

Acknowledgments1. Introduction2. A. Richman, Woodbourne, New York3. Farmer's Life4. Unzereh Menschen (Our People)5. The River and the Woods6. Noodling Around: Kids at Large7. To Town: The Escape8. Daily Life: Mostly Adults9. The Quest for Entertainment10. Religion11. Summer Emergencies and Other Unforgetable Events12. The Day Camp13. Crime and Punishment14. An Age of Change15. Ghosts Along the RoadNotesBibliographyIndexPhotographs