Elaine Grossinger Etess, the third-generation Jewish proprietor of the famed Grossinger’s resort in Liberty, N.Y., in the Catskill Mountains, died on Jan. 27. She was 98 years old.
The hotel was part of the famed Borscht Belt, where Jewish residents—many of them from the five boroughs of New York City—would go to unwind with their families amid expansive lawns, swimming pools and lakes, exercise and dance classes, day and nighttime activities, and legendary comedy acts, complete with all-you-could-eat kosher food.
Etess was the daughter of Harry and Jennie Grossinger, who turned a boarding house in the early 20th century run by her parents—Polish-Jewish immigrants Asher Selig and Malka Grumet Grossinger—into a thriving resort geared specifically toward Jews, who didn’t have the same vacation options as the rest of America. In many hotels and country clubs around the country, they were barred from entering.
Following her husband Harry’s death in 1964, Jennie handed over the business to her children, Paul and Elaine, who were already involved in running the establishment.
They took over Grossinger’s Catskill Resort Hotel after Jennie died in 1972. Elaine reconfigured it to modern standards, which boosted its attraction as an all-inclusive experience.
Yet as the generations moved on—and Jewish kids and teens began choosing overnight camps and travel programs abroad—the business started to dwindle. The 1987 film “Dirty Dancing” reflected such sentiment and changing times, particularly as Jews began assimilating into American society and culture in full force. It also touched on antisemitism.
A 2024 documentary, “The Catskills,” chronicled the rise and fall of what was an iconic chapter of American Jewish life, drawing generations of families, in addition to famous names and faces of the 20th century.
A year later, the documentary “We Met at Grossinger’s” (2025) depicted the resort in its salad days, detailing the business and its clientele. It starred actor, singer and dancer Joel Grey, the father of actress Jennifer Grey, the lead Jewish character, Frances (“Baby”) Houseman, in “Dirty Dancing.”
Grossinger’s closed its main operations in 1986, after being sold by the family in 1985. Buildings on the property began to be torn down in 2018. Eventually, Etess moved to Florida, where she spent her final years.
“Elaine left an indelible mark on the Liberty community through her civic engagement and participation,” said John Conway, Sullivan County Historian, according to the Sullivan County Democrat. “Much of what she contributed was below the radar, but nonetheless significant.”
Among her accolades was serving as the first woman president of the American Hotel and Motel Association.
Etess was predeceased by her husband, David Etess, and their son, Mark Etess, who died in 1989, as did her brother. She is survived by another son, Mitchell Etess; daughter, Susan Etess Zimmerman; in addition to six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
