Kochalaine Chaos

Sam(Sholom)Kimberg

My family spent many summers in the Borscht Belt – specifically at Schienman’s Cottages in Kerhonkson. Our Model T Ford survived countless trips on Route 17 to the mountains. Our (and thousands of others’) favorite place for a relaxing break was the “Red Apple Rest.” We bucked the crowds from the buses, private cabs, and cars to push our way in to buy a hot dog ($.10), a jelly apple ($.15) Charlotte Ruse ($.10), ice cream ($.10), a shtickle Nestle Chocolate ($.02), a pretzel stick ($.01), and coke ($.05). On Route 17 we passed billboards advertising the big hotels – the Concord, Flagler, Grossingers, Nevele, Fairmount, Brickmans and also touting the entertainment stars – Jackie Mason, Milton Berle, Danny Kaye, Red Buttons, Sammy Davis Jr., Eddie Cantor, Sid Caeser and more. Occasional other billboards advertised camping grounds and camps.

At our bungalow colony, the welcoming committee was my younger brother’s family and our friends, the Reiss family. We then all became busboys and schlepped our belongings to our room. We were a close family – especially in this one room accommodation.

The community kitchen was lined with refrigerators – each door had a label with a name. Here is where most of the arguments occurred.
“You used my milk!” “Who is the mamzer that took my bar of chocolate?” “I’m missing a tomato.” Etc. Most disturbing to me was the mothers walking with utensils in one hand and a food plate in the other. I was always afraid a kid would run into a knife.

The activities included making bonfires and once there toasting marshmallows, putting mickies (potatoes) in the fire, sticking hot dogs on branches and roasting them, singing and talking about the people who were not sitting around the fire. Blueberry picking and apple picking were also popular. My mother was a top apple picker. At times we went to the movies in Ellenville.

As a teenager, one of our shticks was to crash the hotels and dance with the guests. They must have wondered where we disappeared to.

We used a nearby river for swimming. It was a pleasure to hear the mothers’ spilling the cold water on themselves and shouting -- a machaye – a pleasure. We were surrounded by trees and shrubbery, all kinds of birds overhead, deer, wild turkey and, unfortunately, skunks. What else could we ask for?

Some of the main events in my 88 years (kaneinehora) are my birth at 1628 Washington Ave., my schooling at PS 23, PS 51, Morris High School and City College; my Bar Mitzvah at the Prospect Mansion, my summers in the Borscht Belt, my marriage in the Burnside Manor, my 4 years in the army, our wonderful children and grandchildren, and enjoying our second home at the Riverdale Y’s Simon Senior Center.