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

Editor's note: This segment was rebroadcast on July 14, 2023. Click here for that audio.

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.