COVID-19 Oral History Digital Archive Dr. Isaacson

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