Day 15. Yesterday the Governors of Maryland and Virginia and the Mayor of DC all issued mandatory Stay at Home orders. And while no one can say when these orders will ultimately be lifted ,it is pretty clear that we will be staying at home for weeks, at the very least. In some respects I have have found working from home and staying at home a bit less stressful than my normal… Read More

Day 14. I was in New York City the entire week of 9/11. I was representing the State of New Jersey in a large construction case and would stay in midtown Manhattan at the Penn Club and take the train each morning to Trenton. On the morning of 9/11 I left the Penn Club at 6:30 am, proceeded to Penn Station, and boarded a train to Trenton to take a deposition that… Read More

Day 13. The conclusion of the Sabbath brought news of growing numbers of infected, and deaths. It seems as if a day does not go by when I do not learn of someone I know who has been infected or is in critical condition or has passed away. Just today I learned of a close friend’s brother who is in critical condition on a ventilator in NYC and then learned that the… Read More

Day 11. All this talk about numbers – numbers of infected, numbers of deaths, percentage comparisons to the flu, all these statistics – they depersonalize the tragedy that is this pandemic. The stats and the various interpretations we hear from different analysts do not and can not convey to those of us who are healthy and cloistered in the safety of our homes the true insidious character of this pandemic. That quickly… Read More

Day 10. Yesterday I ventured out of my house for a few hours for the first time in 10 days. I went to my office to pick up work related materials and then stopped at a Giant supermarket to pick up a few items. The supermarket was full of people; shoppers, delivery men, workers. Some wearing gloves, some wearing masks, some trying to observe distance, many just walking around like nothing unusual… Read More

Day 9. As a person of faith living through this world pandemic; a scourge that has killed thousands, infected thousands more, and thrown the world into havoc, I can’t help but ask myself, “What is G-d trying to tell us?” Far be it from me to authoritatively answer that question. But clearly He is sending us a message. A few days ago, I called a chasidic friend of mine in metropolitan New… Read More

Day 8. Over the last two days the virus has struck in my community. One young congregational rabbi is in the hospital and a husband and wife with a large family have all of the symptoms and are isolated in rooms in their home. The virus is real and its potential for harm is real. While we pray that the spread of the virus is contained here and everywhere, my expectation is… Read More

Day 7. Yesterday we decided that our law firm would shift to a fully remote operation with only our executive director permitted to enter our building and work there. Our shift came as a result of the increased infection rate and our dismay at the lack of concern exhibited by many of our fellow Americans and their refusal to abide by the guidelines of the CDC and local governments. Thus, we felt… Read More

Day 6. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom and I would normally go down to the Tidal Basin early one morning on my way to the office to photograph them. One year one of my photos was even chosen for display as part of Photo DC’s cherry blossom exhibition! But not this year for what should be, to everyone, “all the obvious reasons”. But much to my shock and dismay the… Read More