Stories of Resilience: Remaining ‘Baltimore Strong’ in the Wake of the Pandemic

July 15, 2021 Staff Report

By Alan Feiler and Aliza Friedlander | Photography by David Stuck

“The whole world is a very narrow bridge, and the most important thing is not to be afraid.”
— Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810)

Easier said than done, right?

Psychologists generally define resilience as the ability to respond positively and proactively to adversity, anxiety, trauma, tragedy and stress. Perhaps no other time in recent memory has tested our collective sense of resilience and emotional equilibrium more than the global pandemic of the past year-and-a-half.

The devastating losses to COVID-19 have been staggering, and the pandemic’s long-term effects — physically, emotionally, spiritually and communally — remain to be seen.

But the silver lining is that we’ve all learned a lot about ourselves during this terrible time in world history, and many people have emerged stronger and more resolute in their faith, in themselves and in the essence of humanity.

The following are four stories of resilience and how many members of the Jewish community have remained “Baltimore Strong” during the pandemic. Their sense of preservation and perseverance serves as an inspiration about the capacity of the human spirit to find light during the darkest of times.