12 | APRIL 2 • 2020 

continued on page 14

S

ince residents have been ordered to 
“stay at home” for at least three weeks, 
workers across Michigan are adapting 
to a new daily work life, with video confer-
ence calls and interruptions from kids and 
dogs.
But for many Jewish business owners 
with shops, fitness studios and restaurants, 
“work from home” is not an option. And 
they’
re struggling to wrap their head around 
the fact that one day their business was bus-
tling. The next, their doors were closed.
“I think right now we’
re all in an adjust-
ing state of shock and grief, which makes 
it even more difficult to navigate through 
this,
” says Rachel Lutz, owner of Detroit 
boutiques The Peacock Room, Frida and 
Yama. She closed the stores March 17, about 
a week before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer 
ordered nonessential businesses to tempo-
rarily shut down until April 13 in an effort 
to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. 

(COVID-19).
“This goes beyond a normal business 
loss,
” she says. “We’
re all dealing with the 
psychological shock and grief of what’
s 
going on. It happened so rapidly that most 
of us (business owners) didn’
t have time to 
pivot.
” 
On Friday, March 20, at 5 a.m., Lutz burst 
into tears as she pressed “send” on layoff 
notices to her 12 full-time, two part-time 
and four seasonal workers. 
Not being able to financially support staff 
is only one of many unexpected dilemmas. 
She’
s not sure what to do with a recent 
shipment of $12,000 worth of dresses for 
occasions that are no longer happening. She 
ordered the inventory in October. 
“That’
s my money right there sitting in 
a box. It’
s all sitting on racks and shelves,
” 
she says. “... Even a company like mine that 
experienced amazing growth was just so 
caught off-guard. I’
m just not sure who’
s in 

the position to survive this without assis-
tance.
”
Survival is top of mind for businesses 
that still have bills such as rent, utilities and 
insurance to pay.
While Detroit has not announced a 
moratorium on commercial evictions, like 
those declared by New York City and Los 
Angeles, some landlords are offering relief. 
 
Dan Gilbert’
s real estate firm Bedrock 
Detroit, responsible for huge chunks 
of development in Downtown Detroit, 
announced it will waive rent in April and 
May for any of its 125 retail and restaurant 
tenants with under $100 million in annu-
al sales. Tenants with under $80,000 in 
monthly sales are also eligible for free rent 
in June.
Hebrew Free Loan is ready to offer finan-
cial assistance for Jewish business owners 
struggling with rent or other expenses.
“The coronavirus affected people from 
whom we’
ve heard thus far who are mostly 
small business owners whose cash flow has 
been cut off,
” says David Contorer, HFL 
executive director. 
Those with cash-flow needs, including 
individuals, can apply for up to $10,000 in 
interest-free loans at hfldetroit.org.

This Too Shall Pass?

They saw the coronavirus coming, but no business 
was prepared for its high-speed impact here.

STEPHANIE STEINBERG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Born Yoga members 
participate in live yoga 
classes from home during 
the “stay at home” mandate.

COURTESY BORN YOGA ASHLEY GOLDBERG

000_DJN040220_JD Unemployment Apr 2.indd 12
000_DJN040220_JD Unemployment Apr 2.indd 12
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