18 | MARCH 26 • 2020 

From virtual dance classes 
to online prayer, families get 
creative amid crisis.

ROBIN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER I

t has been said that a crisis 
can bring out the best in 
people, and that certainly 
seems to be happening among 
local Jewish families trying 
to find a “new normal” in 
the midst of the COVID-19 
(coronavirus) pandemic. But it 
hasn’
t been easy. 
The hustle and bustle of 
work, school, sports and after-
school activities came to an 
abrupt halt with a wave of can-
cellations and closures, leaving 
families with no time to plan 
and limited options. The need 
for social distancing and stay-
ing home to prevent the spread 
of the highly contagious virus 

further narrows the possibili-
ties for parents scrambling to 
work remotely, home school 
their children, prepare meals 
and keep up daily and weekly 
routines.
“We are eating and sleep-
ing and watching shows in 
between hours and hours of 
coronavirus news updates. 
Daughter is on a TikTok-
making binge. Care to inter-
view us?” quipped one over-
whelmed Jewish mom on the 
Jewish Moms of Metro Detroit 
Facebook page. 
Videoconferencing and 
online communication plat-
forms like Zoom, Google 
Hangouts, Facebook and 
others have proven to be a 
lifeline for many families and 
organizations working to stay 
connected from a safe distance 
during this strange and chal-
lenging time.
“
After working during 
the day by teleconference, 
we were invited to play Uno 

Coping
Coronavirus

 with

Rose Garber and 
son Isaac, 11 
months, have fun 
finger-painting in 
the kitchen. 

continued on page 20

COURTESY GARBER FAMILY

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