WE MET AT GROSSINGER'S | PVJFF Film Screening

Date/Time

Location

Yiddish Book Center (1021 West St, Amherst, MA 01002, Amherst MA)

*We Met at Grossinger’s* is a nostalgic, immersive journey through the Jewish Catskills—once known as the Borscht Belt—told through the rise and fall of its most beloved resort: Grossinger’s Resort and Hotel, the real-life inspiration for *Dirty Dancing*.

Built by three generations of trailblazing women, Grossinger’s Resort and Hotel stood at the center of a world Jews built for themselves after being shut out of America’s mainstream resorts and clubs. At its heart was Jennie Grossinger, the formidable matriarch who transformed a humble boarding house into an iconic institution. A refuge for Jews and other marginalized communities, Grossinger's became—quite literally—a stage for the transformation of Jewish American identity and the evolution of American entertainment.

This engaging film brings to life a mid-century cross-communal phenomenon that united immigrants, sports legends, politicians, comedians, and movie stars—among them Jackie Robinson, Eddie Fisher, and Eleanor Roosevelt—around a lasting belief that inclusivity, creativity and leisure lie at the heart of what it truly means to be American. (Print source: Bungalow Entertainment)

Director: Paula Eiselt | USA | Documentary | 2025 | English | 104 minutes