The mission of American Friends of ALYN Hospital is to maintain, enhance and grow our platform to serve the... moreThe mission of American Friends of ALYN Hospital is to maintain, enhance and grow our platform to serve the challenge of raising funds for ALYN Hospital, while concurrently raising visibility for ALYN as a premier global institution for pediatric rehabilitation.
We created a GatheringUs memorial to celebrate the life of Abe Gittler. Collecting your stories and memories here will offer us great comfort. As we plan virtual and in person gatherings, we will share details here. Thank you for contributing to this lasting memorial.
I remember when I got my driver's license, my dad let me drive his new car my first day of college. The car was parked in a lot and I was not even in the drivers seat but someone hit the car and damaged it. When I called him crying hysterically,... moreI remember when I got my driver's license, my dad let me drive his new car my first day of college. The car was parked in a lot and I was not even in the drivers seat but someone hit the car and damaged it. When I called him crying hysterically, all he wanted to know was whether I was ok. He never once asked me about the car. That had a lasting impact on our relationship. less
Grandpa would always strike up conversations with strangers and play "Jewish Geography". His matzah-breit was legendary. He was always fixing and building things. His frequent visits were a staple of the holidays. It won't be the same without him.
Towards the end of my wedding, he started bringing the half empty bottles of liquor to my friends table. Every time they emptied one he'd bring another. They were all still a little drunk at work the next day!
My favorite story about Grandpa is when he installed child locks on the cabinets, and then spent half an hour teaching my baby brother how to open them. He came back the next week to install new child locks.
When I was taking my kid to visit colleges, I was leading my some and exploring some interesting looking back passageway, and my son said “dad, you’re not allowed to go back there!”, in a very embarrassed tone. I immediately flashed back to all the... moreWhen I was taking my kid to visit colleges, I was leading my some and exploring some interesting looking back passageway, and my son said “dad, you’re not allowed to go back there!”, in a very embarrassed tone. I immediately flashed back to all the times i said something roughly similar to my dad when he went exploring some place he wasn’t supposed to or asked a question of someone about what they were doing or how something worked, and I realized I had become him :) less
I remember telling my parents that I was moving to DC. They were highly skeptical, but that didn't stop them from helping me move. After I moved, my dad loved nothing more than coming to visit and engaging in conversations with all the young idealists... moreI remember telling my parents that I was moving to DC. They were highly skeptical, but that didn't stop them from helping me move. After I moved, my dad loved nothing more than coming to visit and engaging in conversations with all the young idealists that lived there. He had so much fun with it! And it didn't matter that the sleeping accommodations were not ideal. He just wanted to be a part of it all. less
Molly: We loved his ringtone. "Ring ring! Ring ring ring! Pick up the telephone! Ring ring!" And his pockets were always full of the coolest things. We would go through his pockets and ask him what each thing was for and he would show us... moreMolly: We loved his ringtone. "Ring ring! Ring ring ring! Pick up the telephone! Ring ring!" And his pockets were always full of the coolest things. We would go through his pockets and ask him what each thing was for and he would show us how everything worked. less
Molly: Every time Grandma and Grandpa came to visit, we went out to eat. We went to Dougie's, and our mom was trying to get us to behave and have good table manners. Then Grandpa says "Hey, look at this!" He puts a straw in his glass, puts... moreMolly: Every time Grandma and Grandpa came to visit, we went out to eat. We went to Dougie's, and our mom was trying to get us to behave and have good table manners. Then Grandpa says "Hey, look at this!" He puts a straw in his glass, puts his thumb over the top, pulls it out and drops the water all over the table! We spent the rest of the meal doing that, instead of table manners! less
Molly: I remember Kiri and I, when Grandpa and Grandma used to visit, we would always fight about who would get to wake him. We would sneak up to him (which was easy because he was a very deep sleeper) and we would pick up his sleep mask and try to open... moreMolly: I remember Kiri and I, when Grandpa and Grandma used to visit, we would always fight about who would get to wake him. We would sneak up to him (which was easy because he was a very deep sleeper) and we would pick up his sleep mask and try to open his eyes with our hands! And then on Shabbat afternoon when he was napping, we would sneak in and try to put headbands or bows in his tiny amount of hair and see how much we could do before he woke up. And we'd hide under their bed and see how long we could stay there before they found us. But it was never very long because we'd be laughing so hard. less