On a whim, Terry Bitar diverted off the main highway that leads directly to the port of Beirut, Lebanon.
The date was Aug. 4, 2020—roughly two weeks before she was set to begin online coursework as an M.B.A. student at the George Washington University.
As Bitar was driving through the heart of the city for a last-minute meeting with her team at the nonprofit she ran, Charity Donation Foundation, she noted there was time to spare and veered off course for a quick hair appointment a few blocks away from the water...