Reminiscing about the Catskills

On January 4, the ACES (Adults Connecting, Experiencing, Socializing), a group for seniors at Millburn’s Congregation B’nai Israel, enjoyed reminiscing about their mid-20th century experiences at the Borscht Belt.

Hedda Maleh, shown here, holds a 1971 picture of her and her husband, Ed, in their Raleigh Hotel work uniforms. He wore red bellhop jacket and she dressed for her job as a front desk clerk. Ed holds other memorabilia from their early days in the Catskills. Many attendees shared their experiences growing up during summers in the Catskills.

The ACES planning committee, including Roberta Rabin, Art Fredman, Cantor Lorna Wallach, and Hedda Maleh, arranged for a showing of the documentary “The Catskills,” produced in 2023 by award-winning documentarian Lex Gillespie.

CBI of Millburn received a grant from the Grotta Fund for Older Adults of the Jewish Community Foundation of the Greater Metrowest for the ACES program for members who are 65 and older. The shul’s grant was given to be used for senior programming.