Interview with Dave Weinreb and Marlene Edelstein
InterviewerInterviewed by
Samariya Smith
Date2022 November 9
Mediumborn digital audio file
DimensionsDuration: 44 Minutes, 58 Seconds
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineCommunity History Project Collection
Object number2022.20.46a-b
Description(a) Interview with Dave Weinreb and Marlene Edelstein. Interviewed by Samariya Smith on November 9, 2022. (b) Photograph of Dave Weinreb and Marlene Edelstein taken at their interview. They were interviewed as part of the Connecticut Historical Society's Community History Project discussing their experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Marlene recalls hearing about covid for the first time on the news and through people she follows online. Dave’s father had covid in March 2020, but they did not think it was serious because they did not initially believe he had covid.
The first disruptions in their lives were related to work and David’s brother living with them for seven weeks. They protected themselves early on by isolating and only going to the grocery store on weekday mornings.
Dave and Marlene were excited by the effectiveness of the covid vaccine. Dave agreed with the vaccine mandate and wanted more, while Marlene felt that mandates for a new vaccine were a tall order but would have liked to see more places incentivize vaccine and mask use.
They both used Zoom more during the pandemic to stay in contact with friends and attend religious services. Marlene provided telehealth services and described the struggle of not being able to see patients in-person.
Volunteer work and religious services provided Dave and Marlene the opportunity to socialize and make new friends, as well as strengthen relationships within their Jewish community.
They discussed their participation in the Black Lives Matter protests and their election organizing work, which involved sending letters and text messages.
Early in the pandemic Dave and Marlene stated that they were anxious, but otherwise their mental health did not suffer too badly. They spent a lot of time hiking in Connecticut in order to get out of the house.
During the pandemic Marlene lost the opportunity to do her medical training in-person. She is grateful that she did not lose any people that she and Dave are close to. Dave found a job at the Connecticut Department of Public Health assisting with a vaccine canvassing campaign in Fair Haven.
During the pandemic they learned to slow down. They also had a baby and were glad that they did not get a pet.
NotesSubject Note: The Connecticut Historical Society’s Community History Project (CHP) is a public-facing initiative, focused on contemporary collecting, gathering items of the recent past as well as from events happening today. This program developed community historians to identify, document, and preserve their experiences as residents of Connecticut, and to share these experiences during a series of community presentations. The project focused on the impact of Covid-19 on Connecticans, particularly on Black and Brown communities, funeral homes, and on nursing home and elder care populations.Marlene recalls hearing about covid for the first time on the news and through people she follows online. Dave’s father had covid in March 2020, but they did not think it was serious because they did not initially believe he had covid.
The first disruptions in their lives were related to work and David’s brother living with them for seven weeks. They protected themselves early on by isolating and only going to the grocery store on weekday mornings.
Dave and Marlene were excited by the effectiveness of the covid vaccine. Dave agreed with the vaccine mandate and wanted more, while Marlene felt that mandates for a new vaccine were a tall order but would have liked to see more places incentivize vaccine and mask use.
They both used Zoom more during the pandemic to stay in contact with friends and attend religious services. Marlene provided telehealth services and described the struggle of not being able to see patients in-person.
Volunteer work and religious services provided Dave and Marlene the opportunity to socialize and make new friends, as well as strengthen relationships within their Jewish community.
They discussed their participation in the Black Lives Matter protests and their election organizing work, which involved sending letters and text messages.
Early in the pandemic Dave and Marlene stated that they were anxious, but otherwise their mental health did not suffer too badly. They spent a lot of time hiking in Connecticut in order to get out of the house.
During the pandemic Marlene lost the opportunity to do her medical training in-person. She is grateful that she did not lose any people that she and Dave are close to. Dave found a job at the Connecticut Department of Public Health assisting with a vaccine canvassing campaign in Fair Haven.
During the pandemic they learned to slow down. They also had a baby and were glad that they did not get a pet.
Cataloging Note: This cataloging project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-249472-OMS-21.
Status
Not on view
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