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March 18, 2020

As A Refugee, The Coronavirus Crisis Triggers My PTSD

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On a frigid February day in 1988, I held my father’s hand as we walked through the nearly empty streets of Tehran. Roughly 30% of the capital’s residents had fled because of the “War of the Cities,” a savage series of air raids and missile attacks perpetrated by then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein as a way to demoralize Iranians during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88).

Earlier that day, when my father decided to take advantage of a rare lull in bombardments to buy food, I held onto his leg with all my 6-year-old might, like a sloth wrapped around a branch.

As we walked, I looked at the sky for assurance that there were no Iraqi warplanes. The sky was painted gray with Tehran’s famous pollution clouds, which provided odd comfort.

We entered a small general store and my father instructed me to find as many canned goods as possible, regardless of what they contained.

Nothing had prepared me for one of the most traumatizing sights of my life: Naked store shelves.

There was nothing. Only lonely price tags that now dangled off shelves formerly containing items like canned beans and halva.

I scuttled to the back of the store, where the shopkeeper kept his mop and broom. Next to them was a small box of individually wrapped sponges and something that resembled a can. I pushed the sponges aside to find a can of button mushrooms, and squealed with delight over my discovery.

“Brother,” my father said to the shopkeeper in a traditional greeting between Iranian men, “are you saving all the canned foods for the ayatollah?”

“I swear,” the man cried, “As soon as the truck delivered the food this morning, people descended upon me and ravaged every shelf. Believe me, I don’t even have anything to take home to my own family.”

Standing beside my father, I was overcome with anxiety and fear. I relied solely on adults to provide my food, shelter and safety but now those adults seemed desperate and out of control.

I didn’t experience these same sensations for 30 years, until last week, when I entered a West Los Angeles Target and found one empty shelf after another. Where was I?

Standing in that Target — a ubiquitous symbol of American abundance — there was something about the sight of those empty shelves that pushed me over the edge.

Pushing the red shopping cart, with my two small children, I felt a semblance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) like I was back in a war-torn, Third World country. It’s the same PTSD that makes me involuntarily throw myself to the sidewalk every time I hear the blaring siren of a fire truck, because it brings me back to the sound of the air raid sirens I heard as a child in Tehran before the terror of approaching Iraqi warplanes.

Standing in that Target — a ubiquitous symbol of American abundance — there was something about the sight of those empty shelves that pushed me over the edge.

The American dream is like Abraham Maslow’s hierarchical pyramid — not of needs, but of certain promises: At the top stands the glorious promise of freedom, whether freedom of religion, the press or otherwise. There are also levels that correlate to promises for “success,” however it’s defined. But at the bottom of that pyramid is a certain promise of basic needs that will be met; promises of a First World country where blessed abundance dictates that store shelves are never empty and that yes, we all have access to toilet paper.

When I came to the U.S., I had certain dreams based on these American promises, and I still have them.

Iran taught me to value a can of button mushrooms, but fears over the coronavirus have taught me that even in America, abundance is a privilege.

Tabby Refael is a Los Angeles-based writer and speaker.

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How to Survive Homeschooling Your Kids

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I respect the decision of parents to home school their kids but I have always known that it isn’t for me. I’m just not that patient. I’m not crafty at all. I also work. But for now, as with many other families, it’s home school by default.

My 14-year-old son’s private school is going virtual. So there’s not much for me to do. He will have classes online with his teachers according to his regular schedule. He will have homework and tests. He won’t be able to hit up the cafeteria for breakfast burritos. But he will have a daily routine and some regularity.

With my 12-year-old daughter, who attends a public charter school, it’s another story. My daughter was given a work packet. She will have no interaction with her teachers, at least not regularly. I know I shouldn’t be grumpy about this. The school and teachers had almost no time to prepare. But I am a little grumpy. A packet just isn’t enough to keep my daughter or any kid occupied and engaged for two weeks and quite possibly more: two weeks when my work doesn’t stop. And I don’t want her spending her days watching TikTok and playing Narwhale.io, although she probably wouldn’t mind. I fantasized about her auditing the online classes through one of the private schools or one of the more well-resourced public schools. Maybe she could go to a friend’s house and sit in on her classes? But knowing that was unlikely, I got to work.

On March 13, her last day of school, we hit up Sherman Oaks library. I tasked her with choosing 10 learning books in addition to her beloved graphic novels. She found about four, including one she deemed a jackpot: “The Story of My Life,” the autobiography of Helen Keller. That night, when I received an email from the Los Angeles Public Library that the libraries were closing, I admit I felt smug. I also admit to an impulsive purchase of three workbooks for her on Amazon.

On Facebook, I found I had plenty of company. I joined a group called Amazing Educational Resources and started to take notes. I downloaded a spreadsheet someone created with more than 100 free online resources, although it seemed more overwhelming than anything. I thought about reaching out to a math tutor in our neighborhood who had rave reviews. But would it be responsible of us to go to her home, even though we are healthy? Would she even want us there, especially since we aren’t existing clients? (For now, I have put that idea on hold.)

I was excited to learn that the Los Angeles Unified School District had forged an agreement with PBS SoCal to show educational programming from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. I imagined the best teachers in the district offering compelling lectures with parallel at-home activity suggestions. Instead it’s “Nova” and “History Detectives.” At least it’s something.

Then I remembered Outschool, a platform for small-group, online classes. I had received its emails for years but had never signed up for anything. I found a bunch of classes that I thought my kid might like and ran them by her. She chose beginning Spanish, animation and something called “Are You Ready to Be a Detective?” We’ll see how it goes. At least her schedule isn’t totally empty.

I know I shouldn’t be grumpy about this. The school and teachers had almost no time to prepare. But I am a little grumpy. A packet just isn’t enough to keep my daughter or any kid occupied and engaged for two weeks and quite possibly more.

Our favorite local improv studio, Studio LOL in Studio City, is posting a free improv class on YouTube every day. So she’ll do that. I think I’ll have her write a letter a day to a famous person, a favorite author, or maybe a friend or relative.  “Draw So Cute” on YouTube also looks promising and up her alley. Friends have recommended Khan Academy and ALEKS for math. (The former is free, the latter is not.) Supposedly Scholastic is offering free online classes as well.

In sum, I’m less despairing than I was a couple of days ago. I also am well aware we have our health, our family, our friends and neighbors, a roof over our heads and, oh yeah, let’s not forget that work packet.

How to Survive Homeschooling Your Kids Read More »

UK Chief Rabbi Announces Closure of Synagogues in Response to Coronavirus

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United Kingdom Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis announced in a March 17 statement that synagogues will be closed until further notice in response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Mirvis said that the United Kingdom’s government’s most recent guidance shows that people need to avoid social gatherings for the time being to stem the pandemic.

“Our Torah obligation to protect the sanctity of life transcends all other considerations,” Mirvis said. “Therefore, with much pain and with the heaviest of hearts, in consultation with the Dayanim and London Beit Din, I have concluded that it is our Halachic duty to suspend all activity at our synagogues until further notice.”

He added that he will later provide guidance on how to keep the Jewish community intact during the social distancing period.

“For now, let us comfort the bereaved and pray for the recovery of the sick,” Mirvis said. “Let us guarantee the physical distance between us will be bridged through compassion and kindness. And let us resolve to play our part in overcoming this pandemic by carefully following medical advice and public health guidelines.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a series of guidelines on March 16 that people should take regarding coronavirus, including to avoid public gatherings, traveling and leaving the house as much as possible. He also suggested that those who are elderly or have compromised immune systems to stay home for 12 weeks.

The guidelines are a stark departure from Johnson’s initial strategy of what’s known as “herd immunity,” the theory that it’s better for the disease to organically spread so people can develop an immunity to it. Johnson reversed course when he learned that this strategy would likely result in 510,000 deaths by August, causing the country’s National Health Service (NHS) to be overwhelmed beyond capacity.

Britain currently has nearly 2,000 cases of people testing positive for coronavirus, although it is believed that there are as many as 35,000 to 50,000 cases. Seventy-one people have died from the virus in the U.K..

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Small Businesses Take A Hit From Coronavirus

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People have started to ask me how this crisis has affected my small bakery-cafe business. And here’s what I have to say so far: First of all, I would like to acknowledge that all businesses of every size are affected. No one is untouched.

So far, the obvious effect up to this point has been the cancellation of basically any type of catering. And I can say from having spoken to other restaurant owners locally and through various groups nationally, that this is across the board. Every event that has been canceled had food that was being provided by someone (Even the Gluten-Free Vegan Dieters Alliance meeting …) and now those orders are canceled. Catering is a decent portion of my business but more than just being a revenue stream, it also makes up for the days when foot traffic is weak. So, while I can’t say that the loss of catering will affect this week’s payroll, beyond that it’s definitely a hit.

I don’t really know what to expect in terms of foot traffic moving forward. On the one hand, I do expect delivery orders to increase as well as takeout for those willing to brave the distance between me and our freshly sanitized counter. On the other hand, I expect dine-in to be much lighter. Furthermore, I don’t know if people are still going to be panic buying and I should make more bread or whether no one will venture out and I should make less.

I’ll pause for a moment to acknowledge that my casual restaurant may be less affected than any of the higher-end places that focus on dining in. And that’s because people will stay in and also because it’s only a matter of time before we all start tightening our financial belts.

Thus far I have not seen any indication that the supply chain is affected, which is another element that I am concerned with (other than shortages of bottled water and cleaning supplies). As long as I can get flour and other ingredients, we can turn it into bread and other products. If we can’t get our ingredients, we will be in trouble.

My concerns lie for my own business and family, but I am equally concerned for my employees. One of the first things that I will have to consider will be a reduction in hours to make sure that we are being efficient. That may translate into fewer work hours for my staff. I am hopeful that the government will step in in a meaningful way to support the people who will have their hours reduced. And frankly I hope that whatever they do implement is very easy to access — because there is a difference between reading about a bill being passed in Congress and people getting money in their pockets.

My perspective is only that from a small food-service institution: Everyone’s lives are changing for the time being. I wish that I could simply telecommute and email everyone bagels and pizza but we do not yet have that technology (looking at you, Elon Musk).

These are some weird times. And everything is moving so quickly that whatever I write this evening may very well be invalidated by the morning and some change in events.

My perspective is only that from a small food-service institution: Everyone’s lives are changing for the time being. I wish that I could simply telecommute and email everyone bagels and pizza but we do not yet have that technology (looking at you, Elon Musk).

Lastly, people are starting to ask what they can do to help. I think we all need to be open to supporting one another in every way. I am certainly going to be sensitive to the fact that everyone is dealing with change. I will try to support my local businesses as much as possible.

I am preparing for my business model to potentially change until life returns to some sense of normality. And although I hope that some time from now, I’ll look back at this story and laugh at my musings, I am also realistic that I might look back and think how foolish I was for not preparing.

Dan Messinger is the owner of Bibi’s Bakery & Cafe. 

Small Businesses Take A Hit From Coronavirus Read More »

Coronavirus Continues to Spread on the East Coast

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Over the past few weeks, the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has swept through the United States at an astonishing rate. Nowhere in the country has been as profoundly affected as New York, where the Orthodox Jewish community of Westchester County finds itself at the epicenter of the pandemic.

On March 5, the total number of confirmed cases in New York was 22. As of March 16, that number was 950 with 463 of those cases being in New York City.

As a result, New York City has closed down its 1,800 public schools until at least April 20.

The largest outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States is in New Rochelle, a Westchester suburb of New York City with a prominent Jewish population.

New York’s COVID-19 crisis began on March 2, when a 50-year-old New Rochelle attorney named Lawrence Garbuz tested positive for the virus. He had attended a bat mitzvah and a funeral in February at Young Israel synagogue. Not knowing he had the virus, his exposure created a ripple effect, spreading COVID-19 to the temple’s rabbi. Garbuz also infected his wife, his 14-year-old daughter and his 20-year-old son. His son was studying at Yeshiva University. The university subsequently was shut down.

Much is still unknown about how Garbuz acquired the virus, but what is known is that his exposure potentially spread the disease to hundreds of congregants as well as Jewish day schools in Westchester County with close ties to the synagogue. This incident has made the tight-knit Orthodox community of Westchester the first in New York to address the virus head on.

New Rochelle currently is under a government-mandated containment zone, the most significant measure taken anywhere in the country. The National Guard has been deployed  until March 25 to enforce a one-mile radius in New Rochelle given that it has developed the largest cluster of confirmed cases in the U.S.

New York’s first coronavirus drive-through testing center opened March 13 in New Rochelle, accommodating up to 200 cars a day. Medical staff is stationed to perform swab tests and send the samples to a center called BioReference Laboratories, the research lab in the state involved with processing.

Outside of New Rochelle, which is being called the “ground zero” of New York’s outbreak, further infections have spread to other pockets of New York’s Jewish community. On March 11, a prominent Jewish day school, SAR Academy in Riverdale, had 29 confirmed cases.

“It is with a very heavy heart that we are suspending so many of the most crucial routines of our daily lives and life-cycle moments. We do this only because of the compelling nature of our circumstance and the decisive medical testimonies that are consistent with CDC recommendations.” — Rabbinical Council of Bergen County

The coronavirus now has spread to New Jersey as well. The number of confirmed cases statewide went from one to 29 in a week, according to New Jersey state Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. The outbreak has led to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy instituting a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to contain the spread of the virus.

On March 12, the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County — which consists of rabbis representing 28 local Orthodox synagogues and one Jewish nursing home across the densely Jewish suburban area — announced all synagogues would shut down with no prayer gatherings taking place, not even in people’s homes. Burials would be kept to small groups of family members only.

“It is with a very heavy heart that we are suspending so many of the most crucial routines of our daily lives and life-cycle moments,” the council wrote in its letter. “We do this only because of the compelling nature of our circumstance and the decisive medical testimonies that are consistent with CDC recommendations.”

For the Orthodox community, these curtailments mean forgoing their strict religious adherence to certain practices, such as forming a group minyan or holding Shabbat prayers and meals.

The closures have, however, seen Jewish communities pulling together. The Moishe House of Williamsburg in Brooklyn held a virtual Havdalah service and Temple Emanu-El in New York live streamed its Shabbat services. Hillel at Drexel University in Philadelphia shifted its typical Shabbat meal to having students host various small gatherings of their own.

One of the latest confirmed cases in the Jewish community was reported March 15 when the Shul of Bal Harbour — one of south Florida’s largest synagogues — suspended activity after its rabbi, Sholom Lipskar, tested positive.

“Preserving life is a paramount value in Judaism and that value is our guide at this point,” Rabbi Kenneth Schiowitz of the Rabbinical Council of Bergen County said in a letter last week to congregants.

Rabbi Josh Davidson of Temple Emanu-El’s message to his congregants last week echoed that sentiment. “It is important to remember in moments of uncertainty when we may feel alone that we are not,” he said. “And you are not.”

Peter Fox is a contributing writer for the Forward and Tablet magazine. Follow him on Twitter @thatpeterfox. 

Coronavirus Continues to Spread on the East Coast Read More »

Coronavirus Hits Hollywood

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The coronavirus crisis has had wide-ranging effects on the entertainment business. Closures, cancellations, postponements and other measures have been implemented across the board as companies scramble to comply with new regulations and keep their employees and the public safe. Film and TV production is suspended; plays, concerts and sporting events are postponed or canceled; festivals and events drawing large crowds are delayed; and museums and libraries have closed their doors. Entertainment companies that have not shut down entirely have directed employees to work from home.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that there be no gatherings of over 50 people for the next eight weeks (with the exception of schools and businesses), before President Donald Trump announced new guidelines that urged Americans to avoid gatherings of more than 10 people. Mayor Eric Garcetti has ordered all Los Angeles theaters, cinemas, nightclubs, entertainment venues, gyms and dine-in restaurants be closed through March 31. Restaurants will accept only delivery and takeout orders.

With no end to the restrictions in sight, the long-term impact remains unknown. But you don’t have to settle for watching sitcom reruns and the same old DVDs while practicing social distancing at home. There are other ways to cope with the entertainment vacuum. Here are some suggestions.

MOVIES
Several highly anticipated openings slated for March and April have been scratched. The James Bond thriller “No Time to Die” will now premiere in November, “Peter Rabbit 2” has been moved to August and “F9,” the latest installment in Vin Diesel’s “Fast and Furious” saga, has been pushed back to April 2021. “A Quiet Place II,” “Mulan” and “The Artist’s Wife,” with Lena Olin and Bruce Dern, have yet to be rescheduled. Most films now in production, especially those shooting in foreign locations, have been suspended. This includes the Elvis Presley biopic starring Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker that was underway in Australia. The actor and his wife, Rita Wilson, tested positive for COVID-19.

TELEVISION
Nearly all TV shows have temporarily shut down or have delayed the start of production, including returning programs and pilots for network consideration. This could have a significant effect on the fall 2020 season. A few game and talk shows are still taping without studio audiences, including “Wheel of Fortune,” “Jeopardy!,” “Live with Kelly and Ryan” and “The View.” All the late-night talk shows and “Saturday Night Live” have gone on hiatus. And shows shot even partially overseas quickly changed plans. “The Bachelorette” will remain stateside this season, “Survivor,” which films in Fiji, has delayed its production start until May, and the globetrotting “The Amazing Race” packed up and headed home.

Fortunately, there’s a great crop of new shows premiering this month on broadcast, cable and streaming channels. “Little Fires Everywhere,” based on Celeste Ng’s bestseller, premiered March 18 on Hulu. “Brockmire,” starring Hank Azaria and Amanda Peet, returned to IFC for its fourth season on March 18. “Top Chef” returned for an L.A.-based All-Stars season March 19 on Bravo, and the sitcom “One Day at a Time” shifts to Pop TV for its fourth season on March 24. Set in the ultra-Orthodox community, the miniseries “Unorthodox” debuts March 26 on Netflix, which premieres the third season of “Ozark” the following day. March 27 is also the premiere date for Amazon Prime’s new fashion design competition, “Making the Cut,” and PBS’ “Call the Midwife” returns for its ninth season on March 29. Released three months early, “Frozen II” is available now on Disney+.

STAGE
The old adage “the show must go on” does not apply during the coronavirus outbreak. As per Garcetti’s directive, all shows are canceled through March 31. The Broad Stage has suspended performances through April 8. All programs and performances at REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater) have been postponed through April 12.

In live music, Pearl Jam, slated to play the Forum in Inglewood on April 15, has postponed the first leg of its tour. The Verdi Chorus has canceled its April performances, and the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals have been rescheduled, for Oct. 16-18 and 23-25, respectively. Purchased tickets will be honored for the new dates.

THEME PARKS, FESTIVALS AND SPORTING EVENTS
Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood, Knott’s Berry Farm, Six Flags Magic Mountain and the Los Angeles Zoo are all closed, and annual events have been affected, as well. The L.A. County Air Show in Lancaster and the Electronic Entertainment Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center have been canceled, and the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books has been moved from mid-April to Oct. 3-4.

The PaleyFest TV show celebration has been postponed until later in the year, as has the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, the Beverly Hills Film Festival and the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, which was to begin April 30. It will be rescheduled, possibly for June.

Professional sports including basketball, baseball, soccer and hockey have either suspended their seasons or delayed their starts, and the college hoops NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments were canceled. The Masters golf tournament has been postponed. In auto racing, the Long Beach Grand Prix, slated for April, is on hold and may be canceled.

MUSEUMS
The Skirball Cultural Center will be closed until May 3, and the Getty Center, Museum of Contemporary Art, the Griffith Observatory, the Hammer Museum, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, the La Brea Tar Pits, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Huntington Library are closed, with no projected reopening dates.

The Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust is closed through March 30, and events and programming are canceled through April. This includes the Violins of Hope exhibit of instruments rescued from the Holocaust, part of a monthlong series of exhibitions, concerts and educational events that were to be held around town. Violinist Niv Ashkenazi was slated to perform with the Long Beach Symphony and appear at dozens of schools, playing a rescued violin. Although those events will not take place, Ashkenazi has released “Violins of Hope,” an album of works by prominent Jewish composers or ones who have a Holocaust connection, the theme to “Schindler’s List” included among the selections.

LIBRARIES
The Los Angeles Public Library and the Beverly Hills Public Library are closed. Due dates on borrowed items have been extended, with no late fines assessed. Los Angeles County Library locations remain open, though all programs have been canceled through at least March 31. But all libraries offer cardholders free digital e-books, audiobooks and magazines, or you can sign up for 30-day free trial at Kindle Unlimited or Audible.

Coronavirus Hits Hollywood Read More »

Jewish Loan Associations Offering Coronavirus Assistance

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While the federal government discusses possible financial help for those impacted by the novel coronavirus COVID-19, Jewish free loan associations from coast to coast are stepping up to help those who have lost work or are racking up medical bills as a result of the pandemic.

Los Angeles’ Jewish Free Loan Association (JFLA), San Francisco’s Hebrew Free Loan Association (HFLASF) and New York’s Hebrew Free Loan Society (HFLS) recently debuted lending programs offering up to $10,000 in interest-free borrowing to individuals and small businesses for pandemic-related needs.

“I anticipate most of the trouble will be about small businesses not being able to make payroll,” Cynthia Rogoway, executive director of HFLASF and president of the International Association of Jewish Free Loans, told the Journal. “There hopefully will be some government programs to ease that kind of pain. But in terms of government programs, the average person in the community is going to be really out of luck.”

There are 46 Jewish free loan associations across North America and one each in Australia and Israel. “Most of the agencies will be offering support to people affected by coronavirus whether they have a program or not,” Rogoway said.

In some cases, the loan associations have softened their requirements to make borrowing easier for people in crisis. In New York, one guarantor is needed rather than the usual two.

The pandemic “is unfolding daily and no one knows what it will look like” in the weeks ahead, said Kelly Halligan, who is in charge of donor and community relations at the JFLA. “We’re doing our best to be proactive and stay ahead of the situation and have these dollars available for people when they need them.”

JFLA is offering the coronavirus loans for up to $10,000 with no fees to small businesses facing losses and individuals dealing with lost wages, child care costs and funds lost due to canceled travel plans, Halligan said. It has allocated $250,000 to coronavirus loans, JFLA Executive Director Rachel Grose added.

A loan also is available “if people need to cover medication bills or medical treatments because of coronavirus,” said Nikki Sieger, program supervisor at the JFLA. Loans also are aimed at people “if they can’t pay their bills. Any kind of emergency situation that comes about because they aren’t receiving pay, have to take care of family members or are in self-quarantine,” she said.

Borrowers in L.A. and New York may be of any faith. For those in Northern California applying through the HFLASF, low-income university students can be of any faith if referred through one of its partner social service agencies but otherwise must be Jewish.

“We’re doing our best to be proactive and stay ahead of the situation and have these dollars available for people when they need them.”
— Kelly Halligan

With universities around the world closing down their dorms and sending students home, those studying abroad have to make emergency plans that often involve buying last-minute plane tickets and losing program fees. Kahal Abroad, an organization that supports Jewish students studying internationally, is working to connect those who need financial support with the free loan agency closest to their hometown, Rogoway said.

Once an application is filed, it can be turned around in a few days, compared to the 10 business days needed to process a loan in nonemergency situations, said JFLA’s Sieger.

Repayment periods vary slightly from one lender to another. In San Francisco, people generally have a year to repay each thousand dollars they borrow. “People who have existing loans with us facing financial trouble may need to slow down their payments,” Rogoway said. “I anticipate those requests, too.” The San Francisco agency is able to allocate “a significant amount” to coronavirus loans, she said, and “we will dip into our reserves” if needed.

In New York the repayment period is typically 20 months, “but if someone has circumstances that make that problematic, we work with them,” said Rabbi David Rosenn, the society’s executive director. “Our mission is to try to make it affordable for people to access the credit they need.”

As of press time, no completed coronavirus loan applications have been filed, the heads of each of the agencies said. However, early indicators pointed to interest in the loans being high, Rosenn said, with 1,500 page views and the application itself having been downloaded several dozen times. Rosenn’s agency has initially allocated $1 million to coronavirus loans and is trying to line up resources to be able to provide “several million more,” he said, and the HFLS is in the process of finalizing a $500,000 commitment from a major financial services firm.

Unlike special loan programs initiated during other emergencies, such as the federal government shutdown in December 2018 and January 2019, “there is no back pay and none of this will get made up at the end” of the pandemic, Rosenn said. “The federal government is talking about various stimulus responses, but there will definitely be things that fall through the cracks, especially for lower-income people,” he said. “We are pretty confident this is going to get taken advantage of at a much higher rate than previous emergencies.”

“By offering this type of support, it provides the financial help people will desperately need right now,” Rogoway said, “and also gives everyone who hears about it a sense of emotional support — that there are agencies willing to provide this kind of relief.”

Debra Nussbaum Cohen is a journalist in New York City.

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White House Calls Orthodox Rabbis to Urge Coronavirus Compliance

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Take the coronavirus seriously and follow Trump administration guidelines on limiting gatherings of people.

That was the message from the White House in a conference call with New York Orthodox rabbis and Jewish leaders on Tuesday afternoon. Among those on the call were Haredi rabbis. The Haredi community in some cases has been slow to tamp down on large gatherings and close synagogues.

The White House asked the rabbis to close yeshivas and schools that are still open.

Avi Berkowitz, an assistant to President Donald Trump and an Orthodox Jew, led the call. Berkowitz went over the guidelines with the leaders, The Jerusalem Post reported, citing an unnamed source with knowledge of the details of the conversation.

“He explained to the rabbis how critical the situation is,” an administration official told the Post.

Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the administration’s coronavirus task force, was not on the call, the Vos Iz Neias news website reported.

Berkowitz told the rabbis that not adhering to the guidelines, including not holding prayer services, would see the situation “turn into a serious issue of pikuach nefesh,” or saving a life, according to VIN.

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Adam Schiff Skewers Trump for Deeming Virus “A Public Relations Problem”

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At the beginning of the week, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) announced that one of his former staffers had tested positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Schiff said the staffer had left his position 10 days earlier and was believed to have contracted the virus at that time.

While Schiff did not name the staffer, Daniel Goldman, the attorney Schiff hired to lead the impeachment hearings against President Donald Trump, revealed over the weekend that he had tested positive for the virus.

Speaking with the Journal by phone from his home in Washington, D.C., Schiff said after discussing the former staffer’s case with the attending physician, “It was the attendant’s physician’s conclusion he likely could track the virus to after he left our office, but out of an abundance of caution, I am trying to stay away from others to the maximum degree possible, which means, essentially, sequestering myself at home.”

Jewish Journal: When did you first realize the virus was not something remote happening only in China?

Adam Schiff: I don’t remember exactly when because I’ve lost my sense of time these days — [but] we could see the virus was coming into this country, and given the paucity of testing it was probably much more widespread than we knew, and the first solid indication of that were cases in Washington state that were unrelated to anybody who had traveled to China.

So there was community spread and if that was going on with people who were undiagnosed, then it was only a matter of time before it spread like wildfire. And that’s what has happened in Washington, and even today I think we only know about a tiny fraction who have tested positive. It shows what a global environment we are in when something from a market in Wuhan, China, within a matter of, really, weeks touches people you know, like my former staff member.

JJ: Has this uprooted everything that was happening in D.C.?

AS: It has been a real upheaval for everyone in government [and] outside of government. I am deeply concerned about the health of all Americans, the economic damage that is being done, the closing down of restaurants, bars, movie theaters. All the places where we have social interaction has a huge impact on the economy and on people’s psyche. I am particularly worried about the elderly that are most at risk, but also hourly workers and small business owners who don’t have much of a safety net and now are struggling to provide for themselves and their families, or are struggling to keep their businesses open or trying to figure out how to hunker down, making difficult decisions about whether to lay off people.

JJ: What kind of conversations are you having with your staff about the how to handle this?

AS: We are all doing our best to work from home these days and trying to find the right balance between informing our constituents without alarming them. We are talking several times a day. We have unique challenges in the [House Intelligence] Committee because we deal with classified information, so we can’t work from home with some of our responsibilities, and at the same time we want to make sure that we don’t take any unacceptable risks.

JJ: What about with your family? Your father, I believe, is among the most vulnerable to the virus?

AS: Yes, he’s 92. I just got off the phone with him and I want to make sure he is restricting his movements, and he is. His life revolves going to the club, as is true for everyone in Boca [Raton, Fla.], and he is staying home from the club, which I am glad to hear. He takes walks, gets exercise, but really [he must] limit his interactions with others.

JJ: How would you rate the response by the Trump administration thus far to the spread of the coronavirus?

AS: I think the initial response was very poor and the most important time for the response was early on when steps needed to be taken to surge our hospital capacity, to surge our testing. We should have been doing testing like South Korea for weeks now and we are still not doing it. It is still way too slow and people who need to get tested can’t get tested. For weeks, the president tried to talk this down and viewed it as a public relations problem. The late response is going to cost us dearly.

I think at the agency level there are some very good people like [Dr.] Anthony Fauci [director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases] and others who are putting out good information and are doing the best they can. But there really is no substitute for good leadership at the top and we haven’t had that from the president and people lack confidence in whether they can believe what he says. That’s bad enough when you’re not in crisis but it is catastrophic when you are in crisis.

JJ: What message would you like to send to your constituents about the coronavirus?

AS: First of all, we are going to get through this. We need to come together at least metaphorically if not in person. The country has been through more severe challenges in the past. What we do right now will have a big impact on how long-lasting a crisis this is, and we can all be part of the solution by maintaining a smart distance from each other right now, helping those we know are in need and then also searching out good information. I urge people to go to the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] website [cdc.gov]. We have a lot of useful links on my website [schiff.house.gov], so they can be well informed.

JJ: What’s been your go-to entertainment to make home isolation more bearable?

AS: I am watching [Amazon Prime’s] “Hunters,” which I just started, and also watching “Westworld,” which I left off in Season Two. I have to say, watching just the first episode [of “Hunters”] … made me very queasy about the whole idea of the show. Anyway, I am reserving judgment.

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