Montreal is in the grip of a deep freeze and the temperature rarely rises above zero Fahrenheit. Our lips are blue, our fingers are numb and our heating bills are through the roof. I can't think of a better time to ruminate about the warm months of summer.

Like many nice Jewish boys from New York City, thoughts of summer conjure up memories of the Borscht Belt. This section of the Catskill Mountain foothills became the vacation resort area of choice for hot, sweltering Jewish people living in the city. It was comprised of guesthouses, bungalow colonies and hotels both large and small. I would like to share a particular memory of one of the smallest of the small hotels of the area, where I spent the earliest summers of my childhood.

Hotel Sunnyland was located in Parksville, New York, a small village sandwiched between the larger "cities" of Monticello and Liberty. This is the area the great patriot Patrick Hymie referred to when he said, "Give me Liberty or give me Monticello." (I couldn't resist using that old and well-worn Catskill comedian's line.)

There is a story of the Fein family's discovery of the Sunnyland. I was about four years old, so my personal memories are vague, but the anecdote has been repeated so many times that it has become a family legend.

It begins with the decision of my parents, Aunt Dorothy, Uncle Jack, Aunt Helen and Uncle Ruby to find a place in the country for our summer vacation. We all crammed into Uncle Jack's sedan and headed due north towards the "Promised Land." These were the days before the advent of the Thruway or the even more recently constructed Quickway. A 2-hour drive from New York City would take over 8 hours back in the early 1950s. Our car was not air-conditioned either so you can see what an exquisite joy this trip was, with six adults and one child squeezed into what quickly became a shvitz bath on wheels.

No one was exactly sure how to get to our final destination and heaven forbid anyone should suggest looking at a map. Uncle Jack's distinct sense of direction was a point of pride and he was determined to get us there on sheer reckoning and general instructions he received from some earlier pioneers.

We drove for several hours and made our first stop at the Red Apple Rest. This combination restaurant, motel, gift shop and, most importantly, toilet facility is located on what is presently known as "old" route 17. The aforementioned Quickway became the "new" route 17 several years later. The slowly rotating red apple atop the restaurant's entrance is a landmark for pilgrims heading to salvation from the oppressive city heat. It isn't exactly the half-way point, but once you get to the Red Apple, you feel you've made great progress toward your goal of "going to the country."

Ironically, there was nothing particularly restful about the Red Apple Rest. Screaming kids ran around the tables, knocked down plates of food and often patrons while waiters hustled about in competition with the customers who are serving themselves at the cafeteria section in order to save the cost of a tip. "I should tip them for carrying my food? What am I, a cripple?" my mother said.

Many people, to save even more money for their vacation, would sneak in their own sandwiches and simply order a coke or an egg cream so they could say they had bought something if questioned by the manager.

After lunch, we walked back to the car and checked with each other to make sure we had all gone to the bathroom. They thought we wouldn't remember to go to the toilet unless they reminded us. This was the topic of conversation for the next several minutes before the car finally got back on the road.

After driving and shvitzing for a few more hours, we finally arrived in Liberty, hungry and tired. Before launching into our search for a hotel, we decided it was a good time to stop and enjoy the picnic my mother and aunts had prepared. Just outside of the main town, all six blocks of it, we saw a wide-open, picture-perfect green field. The beautifully manicured lawn looked almost like a soft carpet.

We laid out the blanket and sat down to fress on the goodies hidden in the picnic basket. As we munched and talked happily, a couple of men, dressed in plaid pants and wearing little round hats on their heads, approached us and asked if we were enjoying ourselves. My mother said that we indeed were having a wonderful time and thanked the kind men for asking.

"I think it might be a good idea to move your picnic elsewhere so you don't get hit in the head by a ball," one of the men said.

It seemed we'd planted ourselves right in the middle of the golf course at Grossinger's Hotel. I might add this was the last meal my family would ever have at Grossinger's.

After a moment of hasty apologies, we gathered up our belongings, ran back to the car, and drove straight up a long, dirt road. Towards the end of this trail, we saw a lovely little group of buildings with a sign atop the main house saying "Hotel Sunnyland." This was the beginning of a long and memory-filled relationship with this charming family-style vacation spot. Next month, I will share some of those memories with you, along with some photos of the Sunnyland.

Every month I ask our Megillah family to help with donations and this past month your assistance came in very handy. Our main computer suddenly bought the proverbial farm and had to be replaced. I am not going to pretend the Megillah fund was able to cover the cost of the new computer, but it did help to defray some of it. This is an example of why your assistance is so important.

We always have the need for a bit of extra financial flexibility to meet the demands of providing this service. Once again, I am asking you to click on the links below so you can assist us with the continuation of our efforts. Many of our members offer gifts in the amount or multiples of Chai, the number 18 that signifies life. This is a terrific idea, because it contributes to the life of the Megillah. Thank you to everyone who has already done their share; your continued support and faith in our work is greatly appreciated.

Here's a new idea. At the bottom of the Editor's Comments page you will find a new search feature. Each time you use it to search for information on the Web; the Gantseh Megillah receives a small commission. If you would like to make the Gantseh Megillah search engine your home page, click here. What a great way to expand your knowledge and support our work.

That's all for this month folks. Keep warm and remember, summer is on the way.
Enjoy the Megillah.
Much love to all of you,
Michael