Norman Gersten Hirsch

Norman Gersten Hirsch, 85, of Savannah, Georgia and husband of Jewel 'Julie' Eisenstein Hirsch, died Wednesday morning, October 5, 2017, at Candler Hospital.



In December of 1957 Norman G. Hirsch went to an informal party of young Jewish college grads in someone's parents' finished basement in Teaneck, NJ. Standing with his sister, he noticed a young woman slowly descending the stairs. He didn't know she was walking slowly because she wouldn't wear her eyeglasses! After a minute or so he turned to his sister and said, 'You see that girl coming down the stairs? I'm going to marry her.'



Six months later he did exactly that. Norman and Julie were intending to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on June 29, 2018 with a celebration at their congregation, Mickve Israel, on Monterey Square.



On October 5 of last week Norman had gone to Publix on Skidaway Island to get healthful foods to entice his wife to eat; she had just had severe spinal surgery with months of recuperation ahead. That was so like him. At the end of an aisle his problematic heart valve quit and his pulse ceased.



So who was this Norm Hirsch? He was the son of Isador L. and Selma Blanche Gersten Hirsch of Hillsdale, NJ and brother of Gail Hirsch Cohen. His early youth was in small town USA only a 35 mile crow's flight from New York City. He played sand lot baseball, later playing semi-pro while in graduate school. A sign of his future was when he was president of the youth group at the Hackensack, NJ YMHA. A wise adult let them create their own programs involving county wide students.



Norman graduated cum laude and AEPi from Syracuse University and promptly went into the US Navy Supply Corps serving on the destroyer USS Keppler at the end of the Korean War. He served his three year enlistment, lucky not to be in the line of fire, and sailed the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the North Sea. At sea he started studying graduate subjects that interested him and, discharged, enrolled in Stevens Institute of Technology for an MS in Industrial Engineering. He met Julie while working at Westinghouse Electric, they married in June of 1958 and his career continued through various consulting areas, finally hitting the one that was to be his career, hospital and health care. The years saw him as assistant administrator of Montefiore Hospital in NYC, getting a second MBA magna cum laude at Wagner College and joining then-Peat Marwick Mitchell, now KPMG international, as its first partner in national and international health care consulting. He helped that practice grow to 350 professionals.



Norman and Julie are blessed with two loving children, Abby Hirsch Phillips (Steve) and Jonathan Ilan Hirsch (Sheryl). They are also blessed with four precious young adult grandchildren with whom their lives are entwined despite distance; Jason Price, Michael Hirsch, Talia Price and Lindsay Hirsch. Also surviving are his sisters and brothers-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Sanford Cohen, Dr. and Mrs. Howard Brensilver and Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Kaplan, and nieces and nephews.



The Hirsches came to Savannah in 1991, joining and becoming active in Congregation Mickve Israel. Julie was asked to go for para-rabbinic fellows training (volunteer) at Hebrew Union College, serving the congregation as music soloist, keyboardist, music teacher and substitute for the then-rabbi when he was absent for the next 14 years. Norman took up her sermonic challenge for CMI's missing congregational 'tikkun olam' effort (repair of the world, 'charity'). His first effort was the Backpack Buddies program (food for needy children on the weekends). Originally starting with just 20 children at East Broad, Backpack Buddies now serves Mickve Israel's 120 child program and has spread to every school in Chatham County, helping thousands of children. Next was the Camp Scholarship Fund. Then came enhancing the docent effort at CMI's tours and museum, now 50 docents strong. Don't forget his coaching of girls' basketball at five Savannah high schools. He loved his years coaching.



Along the way Norman became a $1.00 per year management consultant to Dr. Tom Lockamy, Superintendent of Schools, who asked him to stay on year after year. Dr. Ann Levett asked Norman to stay in in that informal capacity with her when Dr. Lockamy retired last year. So, was there more up this 85-year-old fellow's sleeve? Yes, and yes; he always had a new idea for a new effort of some kind. He wanted to get his newly replaced shoulder back on the golf course so he could shoot his age again.



This is being written by the wife with whom he fought (!), and loved, experienced life, and grew with for 59 years. Like many, we could have come apart years ago but we were saved by our commitment. In his wedding ring it says not 'love' but 'always'. I'm thankful that he didn't suffer at the end as many friends have. Go in peace, my knight in slightly tarnished armor (our joke). I'm glad your vision of the girl on the stairs wasn't ruined in these 59 years. It was for always.



A memorial service will be held at 4 o'clock Monday afternoon at Congregation Mickve Israel conducted by Rabbi Robert W. Haas. The family will receive friends in the social hall after the memorial service.



Remembrances: Backpack Buddies ' c/o Congregation Mickve Israel ' Post Office Box 816, Savannah, Georgia 31402-0816 or The Camp Scholarship Fund - c/o Congregation Mickve Israel ' Post Office Box 816, Savannah, Georgia 31402-0816.