Jennie Grossinger

This article includes a list of general references, but it remains largely unverified because it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (May 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

June 16, Jennie Grossinger (June 16, 1892 - November 20, 1972) was an Austrian-American hotel executive and philanthropist. She is considered as one of the great hostesses of 20th-century. She was the hostess of one of the largest Borscht Belt resorts, Grossinger's Catskill Resort Hotel. Beginning from the 1930s, she started to give up many of her business responsibilities, and started to devote herself to philanthropic causes. In her life, she had received several honors and awards for her philanthropic and social services.

Life[]

Early life[]

Jennie Grossinger was born on June 16, 1892, in Baligrod, a small village in Galicia, Austria, now a part of Poland. She was the eldest daughter of three children of Malka Grossinger; née Grumet, and her husband, Asher Selig, who was an estate overseer. Her family migrated to America in 1900. She had gone to a state-funded school in New York City, however at age 13, her schooling was stopped as she started working as a buttonhole creator. Her brother was profoundly deaf, hence her mother went back to Europe to find relevant medical help for him.

Career[]

Jennie Grossinger continued to work 11 hours a day and attending night school. She used to help her father and sister, and send money to her mother back in Europe. In 1912, she wedded Harry Grossinger, her cousin, who was a clothing manufacturing factory's production man. She then went to work as a cashier in her family's new business enterprise, a small restaurant. In 1914, the restaurant business was abandoned due to her father's mental and physical breakdown.

Grossinger's indoor pool in 1976

At that point, the family moved to an overview farmhouse in the Catskill Mountains, where they expected to earn enough to pay the bills by developing harvests, which ultimately fizzled following a couple of months. From that point forward, they started to take-in summer guests, the vast majority of whom were individual Jewish workers and were searching for minimal expense excursions. Thus a small hotel emerged named Longbrook House, in which Jennie Grossinger was the bookkeeper, chambermaid, host, and her mother used to oversee the kosher kitchen. Her husband continued to live and work in New York City, however, he assisted the business by doing the marketing part and also used to provide guests from his acquaintance. In 1914, during their first summer season, they facilitated nine guests who had paid an aggregate of $81. In the next year, they renovated the hotel by adding six rooms, and building a new wing, providing for 20 guests.

The hotel soon became well known for its food and reasonable rates. Harry Grossinger left his place of employment in New York City and joined the inn business in 1916. The family sold their previous farmhouse and had purchased a larger property near by in 1919.The new property had a bigger and better-prepared lodging building. Subsequently, they purchased 63 acres of land of woods, and a lake, hence, providing the guests with fishing and various sporting facilities. In the impending decade, their inn business gradually extended, and by 1929, had a guests limit of 500. That year, they hired musician , to promote their business. He at that point recommended offering a free vacation to couples who met at the resort, which maintained. He likewise concocted the motto "Grossinger's has everything."

After the end of World War II, Jennie Grossinger continued directing the development of the hotel and made it a more expanded client base. In 1948, guests who were not Orthodox Jews begun to get special providing on the Jewish Sabbath. In 1964, Harry Grossinger died. Following his death, Jennie Grossinger handed over the business to her children, who were already involved in the management.

The hotel stayed a family-run business till 1986, when it was offered to Servico, Inc. They at that point leveled the old inn structures to clear a path for additional up-to-date offices and facilities, with a spa, a connoisseur lounge area, and an 8,000-square-foot sporting lounge, directed for youthful customers.

Philanthropy[]

From the 1930s, Jennie Grossinger started to assign a considerable lot of her previous business-related obligations and began to commit herself to humanitarian activities. Much of her charity works were for Jewish and non-sectarian causes. She focused on doing charity activities in the Jewish homeland of Israel. There she helped with building a medical center and a convalescent home. Out of her sheer interest in education, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem benefited from her charity. She donated money to help mentally distorted children in several children hospitals and care facilities. She also donated money to fight tuberculosis, and for the proper medication of arthritic patients.

Personal life[]

In 1913, Jennie and Harry Grossinger had their first child, who died in infancy. Later they had another child, Paul. In 1927, they had a daughter, Elaine. Jennie Grossinger was plagued by ill-health throughout her life. She used to suffer from chronic high blood pressure, severe headaches, back problems, and depression. In 1941, and 1946, she underwent major surgeries.

Death[]

On November 20, 1972, Jennie Grossinger deceased in her house at Grossinger's of a brain stroke, handing the business over to her children back in 1964, who had for quite some time been associated with its administration.

Awards and honors[]

In her lifetime, Jennie Grossinger had received several honors and awards including honorary degrees from New England College, and Wilberforce University in Ohio for her philanthropic works.

In popular culture[]

TV[]

• This is your life, season: 3, episode: 14 (1954)

Literature[]

• Grossinger, Richard (1997). Out of Babylon: Ghosts of Grossinger's. Frog, Limited. ISBN 978-1-883319-57-1.
• Grossinger, Tania (2008-06-17). Growing Up at Grossinger's. Skyhorse Publishing Inc. ISBN 978-1-60239-205-2.
• Drachman, Virginia G. (2002). Enterprising Women: 250 Years of American Business. UNC Press Books. ISBN 978-0-8078-5429-7.
• Neidle, Cecyle S. (1975). America's Immigrant Women. Twayne Publishers. ISBN 978-0-8057-8400-8.
• Goldstein, Samantha Hope (2000). "Don't Mind Me, I'll Just Sit Here in the Dark": Illuminating the Role of Women in Catskills Performative Culture. University of California, San Diego.

Bibliography[]

• Candee, Marjorie Dent (1956). Current biography yearbook, 1956. New York: H.W. Wilson. OCLC 59658453.
• Sicherman, Barbara; Green, Carol Hurd (1980). Notable American Women: The Modern Period : a Biographical Dictionary. Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-62733-8.
• Pomerantz, Joel (1970). Jennie and the Story of Grossinger's. Grosset & Dunlap. ASIN B0026B3KAI.
• Encyclopedia of World Biography: 20th Century Supplement. J. Heraty. 1987. ISBN 978-0-910081-02-3.
• Encyclopaedia Judaica. Encyclopaedia Judaica. 1996. ISBN 978-965-07-0219-9.
• Brawarsky, Sandee; Mark, Deborah (1998). Two Jews, Three Opinions: A Collection of Twentieth-century American Jewish Quotations. Perigee Books. ISBN 978-0-399-52449-3.

Additional reference[]

• "Grossinger, Jennie (1892–1972) ." Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Retrieved April 17, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com
• Kanfer, Stefan. "NY: Bulldozers Have the Last Laugh," in Time. October 27, 1986.
• Shepard, Richard F. (1972-11-21). "Jennie Grossinger Dies at Resort Home". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-05-29
• The New York Times Book Review. New York Times Company. 1976.
• "Jennie Grossinger Day!". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 2021-05-29.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jennie Grossinger.