In her comfortable apartment at The Hearth at Drexel, resident Norma Gittelman is surrounded by reminders of a life well lived. Her walls feature her own paintings, and family photos adorn every corner. In the Inspiring Today household, she has found a new home where she nurtures her creativity, spends time with family, and reflects on the remarkable resilience of her ancestors.

Norma’s story is grounded. She shared more than six decades of marriage with her husband, Bernie, who worked as an advertising executive before founding his own business, The Gittleman Company, in Flourtown. Norma was an accountant and pursued interests in politics and the arts. Together, the couple raised their three children, Mark, Marsha, and Michael, before retiring to Boca Raton in 1991.

“We just had a wonderful life together,” Norma said with smile.

Norma is also an author. In 2021, Norma published Sonyashka, a deeply personal book that tells the story of her mother, Sonya, and Aunt Anna, and the harrowing journey they made from Ukraine to Philadelphia.

As young girls living in the village of Hajsyn, Ukraine, Sonya and Anna narrowly escaped a violent pogrom by hiding in an outhouse while girls throughout the village were killed. Sonya was just twelve years old; Anna was ten. Fearing for their safety, their father arranged for them to flee the country with the help of trusted friends and acquaintances.

With coins sewn into their clothing, the sisters crossed a frozen river into Moldova, traveled by train to Bucharest, and lived there for three years while working, attending school, and waiting for the paperwork that would allow them to immigrate to America. After World War I ended, they traveled to France, then boarded The Madonna and sailed to the United States, where they settled with their mother’s sister in Philadelphia.

Norma writes that throughout the journey, the sisters survived because of the kindness of others — many of whom had once been helped by their father, who owned the village’s only general store and often extended credit to neighbors in need. “My grandfather was an extraordinary man,” Norma said. “He was friends with a man in the Russian army. His friend would make sure nobody bothered him, which was really a blessing.”

That friend helped Sonya and Anna escape Hajsyn.

“The book I wrote was written out of love and truth,” Norma said. “Everything in that book is the God’s honest truth. I wrote it because I wanted other people to know that you can come to America and do well. And I want my mother to be remembered.”

Norma also speaks lovingly about the support she receives from her children and grandchildren, who visit and call often. And reflecting on her move to The Hearth from Florida, Norma shared how much the community has helped her.

“I lost a lot of my retention,” she said. “I moved here and it came back. I can use more words now and my speaking came back. And my kids and grandkids keep coming. Some of them call me every day. It’s amazing.”

Through her artwork, writing, and the stories she shares, Norma continues to honor the people and experiences that shaped her life. At the center of it all is the one thing she treasures most: family.