Series for Film Group Discussions

Clash of Lifestyles

THE CATSKILLS

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•What do each of these films reveal about the Jews who vacationed in the Catskills? Why do these characters choose to summer there?

•The films cover four decades. How are the characters similar or different? What appears to have changed from the 1930s to the 1960s?

•How do the characters identify as Jews? In what ways are they clearly Jewish beyond that self-identification? How do the films show the cultural, economic, and class differences between different sets of Jews? How important are these issues in the films?

•How do the films use romantic or other personal stories to make sociological points? Why does the setting of the Catskills make such a potent backdrop for stories of generational tension and romantic diversity?

•How are the films nostalgic or unsentimental–or both at the same time? Think about the period depicted as well as the period in which the film was made. How do the attitudes and points of view of the filmmakers affect the story we see?

•Why did the Jewish Catskills come to an end? What do the films have to say about that?

Catskills Introduction

Selected Films

©2002, Jewish Media Fund. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us.