The Pioneer Country Club – Phase II

When I was 16, I got a summer job as a Boat Boy at the Pioneer's rather large lake which was about one-half mile from the hotel. The job consisted of helping people in and out of row boats and providing them with oars. Magnanimous guests actually offered tips for the service, but tips were relatively rare. One memorable tip of 25 cents was presented by the famous Rabbi Shlomo Carlbach – known throughout the world for his singing. When it was quiet early in the morning or late in the afternoon, I took a boat out into the curving canal at the end of the lake and enjoyed watching fish in the water and beavers building a dam. For a kid out of Brooklyn, this was an incredible world.

The job was relatively boring since few people went rowing in the heat of sunny summer afternoons and sitting in the shade under the trees was mandatory. On cloudy days however, it could get very busy, and I enjoyed the interplay with people, teaching them how to row and helping them in and out of the boats. On most days only 15-30 minutes of manual labor was required – carrying the oars to and from the boathouse each morning and evening and turning boats over to remove water after rainstorms. The job required much sitting in solitude reading or listening to music on the radio. Most people who know me understand that I excel at these tasks.

At some point, my boss- Jack Gartenberg, purchased a small, motorized touring boat which I used to take individuals out on a small trip around the lake. Jack would occasionally visit the lake I assume to ensure that I was working and not asleep and I enjoyed his company. At one point he discovered a hornet’s nest in the boat house and proceeded to try to remove it with an oar. Needless to say, the hornets were not happy with his intervention and chased him down the lake road with his arms flailing in all directions. A pretty funny sight that is imbedded in my memory.

The Boat Boy job was a steppingstone to the job of lifeguard - one of the most prestigious and sought-after (and lowest paying) jobs around. After passing my rigorous lifeguard test offered by the two current lifeguards while working at the lake, I was ready to move on to the next level. While most people believe that the job of the lifeguard is glamorous and to a great extent it does carry some prestige, we took it very seriously and paid attention to the swimmers very carefully. In my two years as a lifeguard, I rescued a number of people including the son of the hotel’s owner. In one instance a woman began struggling and grabbed onto her husband who was being pulled down with her. My partner and I dove into the pool together – with each of us rescuing one of two. After my first rescue, I recall sitting at the edge of the pool shaking, recovering from that frightening situation I was never expecting.  

The lifeguard job paid a minimal salary, although we were able to make additional money by renting out mats for the hard pool lounges and offering swimming lessons to guests and “bungalow people.” We also got to eat three meals in the dining room from the same menu as guest and did definitely not go hungry. Also included in the lifeguard's job description was required residency in the lower level of the Playtorium in a room that had a very musty smell to it. People who visited the room were overwhelmed by the smell, but since it was my first opportunity to sleep away from home, I didn't notice it. I shared the room with my lifeguard partner Bruce and the new boat boy and with a radio and stereo that blasted music all hours of the day and night.

One of the unique features of the room was the power box located on the wall. The power box controlled the light towers at the Olympic sized outdoor pool and the lounges around it. It also presented a unique opportunity for mischief. The Saturday after the solemn fast day of Tisha B’av which commemorates destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, is known as Shabbos Nachamu (comfort) and created the most significant weekend for single Jews in the metropolitan New York area. The hotel was so crowded that individuals actually slept on the cots in the health club and on the lounges at the outdoor pool. Because the pool area was dark and relatively secluded, it also became the favorite rendezvous spot for singles seeking to have some fun. Well, the lifeguards also wanted to have some fun and since the power box was in the room, we would wait for the appropriate time and turn on the lights! If you've ever seen cockroaches scurry about when the lights are turned on, you can imagine the scene. I can still hear our laughter.

The job description included working the spotlight and backstage lights during the Saturday and Sunday evening shows and getting the opportunity to meet TV and Borscht Belt stars like Jackie Mason, Henny Youngman, Soupy Sales, and “oldies” music legends like the Mystics and the Capris. Most were very friendly and down to earth, and a few were a bit eccentric. I recall one comic (who will remain nameless) standing on the fire escape (two stories high) and putting out his cigarette using the only water hose he had in his pants (I’ll leave that to your imagination).

Since the hotel was one of the largest kosher hotels in the Catskills and had many amenities, it was a desired spot for those who were working as counsellors in Jewish camps and had the day off. And of course, if it was a sunny warm day, the first place to visit was the swimming pool. It was on one of those days that I met my wife Blossom as she and her co-counselor Rena visited the hotel on their days off. We had actually met earlier in the year at the old Madison Square Garden Ice skating rink – the NY Rangers’ practice rink above the main Garden arena. Thursday night was ice skating night at the Garden and Jewish high school and college students descended on it, mingling, flirting, and skating to music for hours. Blossom came to NYC by subway (believe it or not) from Far Rockaway with her friend Carol, and I came in my friend Mordy’s car. Mordy was actually going out with Carol at the time and offered to drive Blossom and Carol home. Blossom and I sat in the back seat and that was the beginning of a long-distance telephone relationship.

We occasionally spoke by phone for the next six months, but it appeared that I had been totally forgotten when she did not invite me to her Sweet-16 party. Then came her day off, and much to her surprise, there I was, sitting at the pool with my partner Bruce. Blossom and I reconnected, and Bruce met Rena. For the rest of the summer, we made visits to their camp – Camp Hili and on Saturday nights frequently picked them up to visit us and see the shows at the hotel. While we were able to take them to the hotel because we had keys to the back gates and doors to the Playtorium, access to Camp Hili was much more difficult for visitors. It turned out however that I had the secret to unlimited access. My late brother Irv had played on the Yeshiva University High school basketball with the camp’s director and wore his uniform when he left to play for Erasmus High. I brough him the uniform and the unlimited access golden ticket was mine.

Today, as I look back at the last few years of my time at the Pioneer, I know that it was the most fascinating part of my life. When I look around today, I am disappointed that young people do not have access to similar work and social opportunities. There are no longer hotels to work at, and no longer the opportunities for social interaction like dancing to the band at the Pioneer and ice skating to hit songs at Madison Square Garden. I “worked” as a lifeguard and met my wife there. Many future Jewish doctors and lawyers worked as waiters to earn their college tuition money and also met their wives in that fantastic social environment. While I look back at this time of my life with fond memories, I am saddened by the fact that my children and grandchildren were not able to have similar opportunities and experiences.