COVID-19 Oral History Digital Archive: Recent Episodes
Dr. Isaacson
The COVID-19 Oral History Digital Archive (COHDA) project aims to record and analyze the social and cultural history of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-21 while providing junior researchers with real-world opportunities to learn and hone oral history methods and practices.
Mark Kogan was a 46 year old male, living with his wife and three kids. Mark recalls his growing awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in February and March of 2020 and his unawareness of the virus. He discusses precautions his family took to maintain their health, as well as changes to his work and social lifestyle, including his increased time spent with his family. He comments on his views of local, state, and federal government during this time, and expresses his expectations and hopes regarding the coming six months.
Interviewed by Jonathan Kogan
Reuven Elmakies was a 43 year old engineer in 2020. He lived in Boca Raton, Florida, living with his wife and 5 children. When Covid-19 hit he wasn’t so afraid of what was happening because there wasn’t enough talk about it to become anxious. When it came to Florida that’s when he started to realize just how serious this really was. He talks about his fears and the different things he used to protect his family. He talks about changes in his and his family’s daily life by his work, his children’s education, by viewing TV more to stay on track of what was going on. He gives his option on how the government and different people in power were handling the situation.
Interviewed by Noa Elmakies
Sandra Coben was a 78 year old woman living in Boston, Massachusetts in March of 2020 when the Coronavirus Pandemic broke out. She discusses the isolation that she felt losing her husband during the pandemic and being unable to see family. Sandy comments on the Trump administration’s failure to adequately respond to the pandemic. She recalls feeling a similar sense of national panic yet unity during the pandemic to the one that was felt following the Kennedy assassination and 9/11. Sandy reflects on her recognition of the importance of having family and companionship.
Interviewed by Ariella Greenberg
In 2020, Benjamin Henner was an anesthesiologist who worked and lived in Boca Raton, Florida. He had 4 children: a college aged daughter, one daughter in highschool, a son in middle school and one son in early childhood. In the interview, Dr. Henner gave insight into how life as a doctor and father changed in the wake of the pandemic. He also shared his thoughts about the restrictions, school closings, daily life and contracting the virus. The interview illustrates the effects that the pandemic had on all facets of life.
Interviewed by Rebecca Henner
Howard Pitch was a 58 year old man living in Boca Raton, FL, when the COVID pandemic brought the American economy to a screeching halt in early 2020. Mr. Pitch established The Howard Pitch Entertainment Co. in 1998 from his living room in Nashville, TN, and had operated the business successfully since then. The COVID pandemic shut down live entertainment around the world, causing him to experience a lack of work for the first time since 1998. Howard Pitch shares his perspective on the COVID 19 pandemic from the time he first heard about the Coronavirus in December/January of 2020 up until the time of the interview, May 13, 2021. Howard discusses the economic impacts of the virus, and how his business went from being set for the year, to relying on financial aid, in less than 3 weeks. He shares his insight on the pandemic’s effects on different sized venues and links in the live entertainment industry. Pitch also speaks about the federal government, and its response to the virus and shutdowns. He talks about how the lack of business affected him personally, and how he responded to the adversity. Finally, Howard shares his thoughts on the political environment surrounding the pandemic, and the misinformation and partisan politics that it carried with it.
Interviewed by Eitan Pitch
Levi Plotkin was a 49 year old man living in Los Angeles, California. He lived with a wife, 4 children, and a dog. Levi recalls contracting the virus before its potency was widely known, and his time in the hospital when doctors did not know how to treat it. He discusses the symptoms of the virus, and the long term effects of contracting COVID-19. He comments on the toll it took on his mental health, as well as his physical health, and delves into the effect politics had on the lackluster efforts of the government to contain the virus. He also touches on the effect the pandemic had on not only him but many other American business owners.
Interviewed by Eli Plotkin
Daniel Rudensky was a radiologist at the Boca Medical Center. He was a 54-year-old husband and father to three daughters and lived in Boca Raton, Florida. Daniel remembers the crucial precautions that were taken in January 2020, which overcrowded hospitals and urged the medical professionals to do everything they could to minimize the spread of the virus; he discusses how the COVID-19 restrictions made people develop paranoia leading to the incessant precautionary measures. He remarks on the changed political voices of the nation and how COVID-19 affected the election outcomes.
Interviewed by Lily Rudensky
Rachel Gilinski is a freshman at Yeshiva University Stern College for women. Living with her 2 roommates in New York. Rachel recalls her experience during the pandemic. She discusses the changes in her life and how she dealt with the pandemic. She talks about adjusting to a new life in college amidst a pandemic and the changes that had to be made for it to work.
Interviewed by Menachem Gilinski
Barry Galitzer is a 50 year old male who lives in Hollywood Florida with his wife and three kids. Barry first recalls learning about the covid-19 pandemic while on vacation with his family and was sick at the time with covid symptoms, reflecting back on this Barry believed that he had the virus. Barry Galitzer both works as a dermatologist and runs his dermatology office. He discusses how he dealt with remaining open through lockdowns and other challenges along with how the pandemic impacted him socially. Barry Galitzer reflects on the difficulties his family went through and what long lasting effects of the pandemic may entail.
Interviewed by Steven Galitzer
Rabbi Levitt is the current Head of School at the private jewish Katz Yeshiva High School in Boca Raton, Florida as of 2021. Prior to that, he was Principal at Magen David Yeshivah High School in Brooklyn, New York and also served for twelve years as the Upper School Principal at Berman Hebrew Academy in Maryland. He also held teaching/administrative positions at Mesivta of North Jersey, The Frisch School and Bat Torah in Monsey. Rabbi Levitt is married and has 4 children. He recalls his initial thoughts of Covid when it first arose in early 2020 and his intentions / thought processes when deciding Covid policies for his school to make sure learning can continue in a safe environment. He discusses his challenges, achievements, regrets, and what he learned from this past year. He also discussed how he will implement what he learned during Covid 19 for the future to benefit his school and students.
Interviewed by Macabee Yablon
Chava Mann was Denise Mann’s mother. She worked with Toras Emes Academy in Miami. She was a biomolecular engineer and lived in Miami. She had family all over the world and she was an orthodox Jew. She discussed precautions her family took to maintain their health, as well as changes to her opinion on the situation and her experience. She commented on her views of how the government and president went about the pandemic.
Interviewed by Denise Mann
Dr. Aliza Septimus was a psychologist, speaker, mindfulness trainer, and consultant. She lived in Hollywood Florida and was married with five children. Dr. Septimus had a PsyD, having practiced psychology for the last 20 years, with a psychotherapy practice in South Florida along with a virtual practice. She specialized in children, but treated all ages. Her expertise was in anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties. Dr. Septimus addresses the psychological implications that COVID-19, a pandemic beginning in January 2020, has had on individuals along with her assessment of the mental health effects that the conditions of the virus have brought about. She discusses her opinions on the political response to the virus and the way in which it has impacted her political opinions. She mentions the effects the virus has had on her personal life, job, and children. Dr. Septimus discusses the way she has approached Coronavirus safety and precautions.
Interviewed by Eilat Berger
Tamar Brody is a current senior at Katz Yeshiva High School. She lives in North Miami Beach with her parents, brother, sister in law, and their newborn baby (when they would visit). She recalls the changes COVID has made in her life due to safety precautions, to not get her nephew or anyone sick. She discusses how this virus changed her life and school year, especially being a senior. She touches upon the positives and negatives of this crazy year and how life is getting back to normal because of the vaccine.
Interviewed by Alyssa Bugay
Susan Loberfeld lived in Hollywood, Florida and was a physical therapist. She was married and a mom of three. She expressed how COVID-19 changed and shaped her life. She spoke about how she had to adapt to change. She talked about what her family took into consideration regarding their lives. She discussed when her husband tested positive for COVID-19 and her thoughts on the vaccine.
Interviewed by Eliana Loberfeld
Jacob Cotter is owner of Krudo fish market. He is a 50-year-old male; lives in Sunny Isles beach, Florida; and has 4 children. Jacob finds out about COVID-19 around December 2019, where it was not yet a global pandemic and it was only in Wuhan, China. He discusses how COVID-19 affected him, how there is a new normal, and how he changed his policies in his store.
Interviewed by David Cotter
Dr. Eli Cohen was a dermatologist working at the Cohen Center for Dermatology when the pandemic hit. He was 50 years old and lived in Boca Raton, Florida, with his wife and four children. Dr. Cohen explains his first impression of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020 and how he, his family, and his office responded to it. He discusses the precautions his office took to maintain the health of his patients, as well as changes to his family life, religious life, and social life, including the increase in his family bonding time. He reflects on his views of the pandemic initially, compared to his views a year later. He discusses his views regarding the government’s handling of the pandemic, and also mentions his expectations regarding the vaccine and the future of the world with this pandemic.
Interviewed by Alexandra Cohen
Amram Grynsztein is a businessman who lives in Aventura, Florida with his family. Amram recalls the COVID-19 pandemic and how masks and other precautionary went into play and what they affected. He also shared his remarks on how the pandemic affected the social life of his kids. He also recalled certain gatherings he attended and how they took into effect.
Interviewed by Eithan Grynsztein
Sara Nagler is a high school student at Katz Yeshiva High School in 2020. She was a 16-year-old female, lived in Hollywood, Florida, living with her parents and two older siblings .Sara recalls her growing awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in January 2020 and her corresponding anxiety. She discusses precautions her family took to maintain their health, as well as changes to her work, school, and social lifestyle, including her increase in TV viewing. She comments on the extent to which covid 19 affected her life and her mental well being, as well as how it affected her ability to learn and socialize.
Interviewed by Shmuel Mizrachi
Mr. Shekhter is the head of patient safety at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He lives in Hollywood, Fl with his wife and five kids. Mr. Shekhter found out about COVID in early 2020 and didn't think much about it. Once it got to America he got more anxious and was waiting for it to hit Florida. The quarantine drastically changed the way he worked and worked out as well as how he spent his time. Mr. Shekhter explains the things he realized he didn’t need over the past year and the ways his habits have changed over the year.
Interviewed by Avichai Shekhter
Dr. David Feigenblum was a cardiac electrophysiologist in Englewood, New Jersey in 2020 and 2021. He was a 53-year-old male, living in Teaneck, New Jersey, with his wife and four children. Dr. Feigenblum recalls his growing awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in January 2020 and watched as his job shifted to help patients with COVID-19. He discusses precautions his family took to maintain their health, as well as changes to his work, travel plans, and social lifestyle.
Interviewed by Emma Schenker
Olivia Kahane was a Freshman at Katz Yeshiva High School in 2020. She was 14 years old living in a Modern Orthodox community in Hollywood, Florida with her 2 brothers, sister, and parents. Olivia recalls when the Coronavirus, which began in 2019, began to impact her life in 2020. She discusses how her lifestyle, family relationships, and mental/emotional health changed throughout the pandemic. She recalls the precautions her family took, she took, and her friends took to protect their health and the health of others.
Interviewed by Penina Kahane
In 2020-2021 Benjamin Freedman was a doctor living in Boca Raton, Florida. He was in his 50s and working at memorial regional hospital. He was the Chief of Staff of the hospital, and was head of radiology for Envision Healthcare. He also was working as part of the COVID-19 task force at Katz Hillel Day School and was very involved with the decisions and COVID protocols that were in place at the school. In this interview he discusses his initial reaction to the coronavirus and how they’ve changed. He also discusses how his job and all medical practices have been affected and changed by this virus. Lastly, he discusses his role on the COVID task force at Katz Hillel Day School and what they’ve done to keep the school safe and corona free.
Interviewed by Jacob Freedman
Anne Deakter was a middle aged woman working from home as a life coach and author, living with her son and husband. Anne discussed the effects on many aspects of her life which had been affected by COVID such as her social life, finances, religion, and how the government handled it. She talks about mental health too and it’s detrimental effects on people who are alone during COVID.
Interviewed by Michael Deakter
Huvie Gately lives in Parkland, Florida and is currently in nursing school. She lives in a Chabad Jewish neighborhood but is Modern Orthodox. She has seven children, ranging from 18 to 2. Huvie discussed how Covid-19 affected her student life, her family, and her mental and physical health.
Interviewed by Hailey Gately
David Kahane is a 19 year old college student at Syracuse University in New York. When is in college he lives in a dorm room but when he comes home to Florida he lives with his parents. David talks about how the virus as a whole impacted him such as him having to quarantine multiple times and how his social life was impacted. He then goes on to talk about how he feels about the federal and local government and how they controlled the virus. Lastly, David talks about how he felt emotionally during this pandemic and how he feels that life could be different in the upcoming years because of it.
Interviewed by Benjamin Kahane
Debbie Reichenberg was a citizen of Boynton Beach, Florida in 2020. She had grown up in Brooklyn, New York in an apartment with her parents and her older brother. She met her husband Paul when he moved into her apartment building in Brooklyn. Debbie and Paul had two kids. Debbie worked as a middle school teacher for the better part of her life. Debbie recounts the time before the pandemic when she slowly became more aware of the harsh reality that laid ahead. Debbie notes how a global pandemic affected her and her family's social life, her religious practices, and her anxieties. She also mentions the economy, the future of our post-pandemic world, and what she would tell her pre-pandemic self.
Interviewed by Naomi Reichenberg
Jordan Brown is a senior software engineer at Facebook. He lived in New York with his soon to be wife and moved to Florida in March 2020. He turned 26 years old and got married during Covid. In the interview, he discusses how covid affected his work life, wedding, and overall routine. He reveals his first thoughts and feelings about the lockdown.
Interviewed by Leila Brown
Martine Newman was a mother of three and happily married to her husband, Steven Newman. She lived in Hollywood, Florida. In this interview, she recalls her growing awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in January 2020, and she shows her corresponding reactions. She discusses precautions her family took to maintain their health, as well as changes to her job, social life, and lifestyle. She was a realtor for over twenty years and specifically expresses the effect of the pandemic on her job, and her predictions of the future in real estate.
Interviewed by Chantal Newman
Ilan Mussaffi was a college student at Florida State University in 2020 except during the months of December through February when he was studying in Italy. He was a 20 year old male who lived in Tallahassee until he moved to Italy to study. Mussaffi recalls his fear of the pandemic began when Trump closed the borders from Europe to America. His fears became heightened during his 28 days of complete isolation due to contracting the virus. Mussaffi discusses the timeline of his journey as well as his perspective shifts, his school life, his personal experiences with the virus, his struggles of accepting older citizens dying, his personal relationships, and his career he pursued due to the pandemic.
Interviewed by Liad Mussaffi
Bernardo Gelman, the interviewee, was a 44 year old father when COVID-19 began. Bernardo is married and a father of three. He first heard about the virus in late January–mid February. Bernardo didn’t panic over the virus as the media and government did, but instead he prepared for the upcoming months in being able to continue living a healthy life with good habits. Bernardo speaks on how Covid-19 affected his relationships with friends and family and how he managed to continue living a normal life.
Interviewed by Menachem Gelman
Joshua Wicentowsky was a highschool student at Yeshiva of Flatbush in 2020. He was an 18 year old male, lived in Long Island, New York, living with his parents and a younger brother. Joshua attended NYU/LIU in the fall of 2020. He discusses many precautions he took and how covid-19 affected him and his family. He speaks about his opinions regarding the stock market which he has a great deal of knowledge in and his thoughts about the economy. He addresses his views about the vaccine, and mask wearing and how his views changed from a year ago up until today. He also shares his personal experiences throughout this pandemic having to be a senior in highschool when quarantine started, up until today where he is completely remote concluding his freshman year in college.
Interviewed by Ariel Levy
Josh Stern was a doctor in 2020. He was a 43 year old male, lived in Boca Raton, Florida, with his wife and three kids. Josh recalls his growing awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in January 2020 and the corresponding changes that took place in his work, community, and at home. He discusses precautions his family took to maintain their health, as well as changes to his work, including the introduction of telemedicine. He comments on whether or not he likes the changes which the Covid-19 pandemic had brought to his work,the challenges he faced being a doctor during a pandemic, and the changes that he expects to occur in hospitals in the coming months.
Interviewed by Izak Stern
Elias Attias was a college student at New York University in 2021. He was a 22-year-old male, lived in Miami, Florida, living with his parents and three younger siblings. Elias recalls his growing awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in February and March 2020. He discusses the changes to his work, school, and social lifestyle. He also mentions new skills he picked up during quarantine as well as lessons he learned.
Interviewed by Sharon Attias
Devora Kahn was a doctor at a local hospital in Miami in 2020. She was a 45-year-old female, lived in Hollywood, Florida, living with her husband and her 3 children. Devora recalls her growing awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in February and March of 2020. She discusses precautions her family took to maintain their health, as well as changes to her work, and social lifestyle, including her routines at home. She comments on her views of the politics of the vaccine and the government's handling of the virus during this time, describes the effects of COVID-19 on the medical world, and expresses her expectations regarding the coming six months.
Interviewed by Gabriel Kahn
Sabrina Saida is a doctor who lives in Boca Raton, Florida. She has been extremely worried with Covid and has taken numerous precautions as not to get the virus. Being part of the medical community, she has vast knowledge on the intricacies of viruses and diseases in general and holds a wealth of information on COVID-19 in particular. She discusses the early reactions of the medical community and offers insights to what can be improved in the future. She also shares her thoughts on vaccines, possibility of long term health issues after contacting the virus, and her personal experience balancing her worriedness about the pandemic with her understanding that the world must move on, especially for her kids.
Interviewed by Shayla Saida
Dan Jacoby was a college student at Yeshiva University in 2020. He was a 20-year-old male, lived in Hollywood, Florida, living with his parents and five siblings. Dan recalls his awareness of the COVID-19 pandemic and his corresponding movement because of it. He discusses precautions his family took to maintain their health, and what his life was like at home with his family. He comments on his views of state and federal government action during this time.
Interviewed by Kira Jacoby
Dr. Marcus was a 47-year-old male critical care physician working at Delray medical center. He lived with his wife and five children in Boca Raton, Florida. Dr. Marcus recalls his first encounters with coronavirus as well as his experience in the COVID-19 unit in the hospital and his long hours there. He also explains the impact on his family life and his mental health. He stresses the importance of becoming vaccinated and why even children cause the outbreaks. He also describes his experience on Telemedicine, the caring of patients remotely, and how he worked for hospitals remotely all over the country. He also explains the effects of religion on him during this difficult time. Finally, he shares some important lessons that he learned during this time.
Interviewed by Yosef Marcus