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How the Jewish Vacation Guide helped families travel safely to the Catskills

A view of the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, N.Y. (Mike Groll/AP)
A view of the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, N.Y. (Mike Groll/AP)

The Catskill Mountains became famous for Jewish resorts in the early to mid-20th Century. But such enclaves formed out of necessity — with antisemitism widespread and millions of Ku Klux Klan members nationwide.

It all started with a book: the Jewish Vacation Guide, which cataloged where Jews would be safe, well-fed and entertained. It also inspired the Green Book, a widely used guide for Black travelers.

Host Celeste Headlee speaks with Eddy Portnoy of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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