Pursuing Lifelong Passions at The Hill

When Ted and Betsy Hershberg decided to move to The Hill at Whitemarsh, they had not been looking to downsize in space, but rather in responsibility. They worked closely with the sales concierge at The Hill and finally moved into their wonderful new home in August 2022.

“We moved from a big house in West Mt. Airy that we had lived in for 39 years,” said Betsy. “It was where we raised our children, hosted numerous family gatherings, and where we pursued our often-changing lifelong passions. There were so many wonderful memories in that house, but it also required what felt like endless ongoing attention. We were ready for a change.”

Their new home at The Hill was that welcome change. It checked all their boxes, including space for a study for Ted and an artist’s studio for Betsy.

“Our new home has everything we wanted, including plenty of space for our children and grandchildren to come visit and stay with us,” Ted said. “It’s mainly first-floor living, which my knees really appreciate! Betsy’s studio is on the second floor, and our basement serves as a guest suite for the kids.”

For Betsy, her studio is where she creates one-of-a-kind hand-beaded knitted jewelry for which she has become renowned. For over 15 years, Betsy has also taught her specialized techniques to thousands of students across the country, both in person and online. Her book titled “Betsy Beads: Confessions of a Left-Brained Knitter,” was published in 2012 and has sold more than 15,000 copies to date. It reflects her studio mantra of “Play. Knit. Create.”

“I’ve been a knitter since age 8, and even though my career ambitions have changed over the years, knitting remains a steadfast passion,” she said.

Her passion has bloomed into a remarkable career. Betsy is represented by Gravers Lane Gallery in Chestnut Hill and most recently showed her work at an invitational jewelry show at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City.

While Betsy has embraced more creative pursuits in life–including stints as an actress, a scuba instructor, and a voice-over artist–Ted, who retired as a professor from the University of Pennsylvania in 2018, dedicated his life to history, education, and public service. Ted was part of a generation of historians who pioneered the use of computers to write “history from the bottom up.” Ted was acting dean of the School of Public and Urban Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and served as assistant to Mayor Wilson Goode for Strategic Planning and Policy Development in 1984-85. Upon returning to university life, Ted founded the Center for Greater Philadelphia to promote greater cooperation between the city and its surrounding counties and spent a decade working with state legislators and CEOs on regional issues.

While Ted is no longer in the classroom on a regular basis, his love of education has remained.

“Since moving to The Hill, I’ve joined the Education Committee and have given a lecture on the prospects of education reform in America’s schools,” said Ted. “I enjoy sharing some of what I’ve learned over my half century as an academic, and I delight in the challenge of making specialized knowledge accessible to our curious and intellectual neighbors at The Hill.”

“[Our old home] was where we pursued our often-changing lifelong passions…but it also required what felt like endless ongoing attention. We were ready for a change.” – Betsy Hershberg

Both Betsy and Ted are thrilled to have found a new home that allows them to pursue their passions. “After we moved in, I joked to Betsy that life here is like living at a resort. It feels like ‘The Truman Show’; I keep looking up for the dome.”