Once upon a time, summertime was when a young Jew’s fancy would turn to thoughts of summer excursions in the Catskills. And for many of them, of course, “the Catskills” meant “Kutsher’s.” Well, those days of yore are no more, but that doesn’t mean a young Jew can’t still dream. Two of those dreamers (alright, maybe not so young anymore, but definitely Jews) are the dynamic duo of Caroline Laskow and hubby Ian Rosenberg, who has managed to parley a friendly acquaintance with Jewdar back in the University of Wisconsin with a lifetime of free PR. Some years back, the documentarians (which sounds to Jewdar like some kind of castratey UFO cult) put together a lovely homage to the resort, Welcome to Kutsher’s. It showed of course in the kind of artsy theater that normal human beings like Jewdar would never go to. Now, however, it’s available on dvd and download, all for a low, low price. Now, Jewdar doesn’t want you to avoid whatever summer plans you have. But at some point, there will be rain, or a traffic jam, or a sharknado, and you’ll decide to stay home. And when you do, we recommend making a brisket, listening to a little Irving Fields (who, btw, turns 100 this year, kenahora), and watch Welcome to Kutsher’s. It won’t be quite the same as a trip to the Catskills, but you also won’t have to worry about Patrick Swayze shtupping your daughter.
Let me tell you this – I went to an Irving Fields show about 11 years ago. I sat stage side and chatted with him after the show. That guy is one of the coolest dudes i have ever met!