As the world responds to the outbreak of coronavirus, Jeremy Brown recalls an East European Jewish rite, known as the “black wedding,” once thought to stem the tide of plagues:

The ceremony was simple: a man and a woman, each unmarried and either impoverished, orphaned, or disabled (sometimes all three) were married to one another under a ḥuppah—in a cemetery. The couple’s new home was established with donations by the community. With this collective act of charity and lovingkindness, it was hoped that the plague would be averted.

For example, one such ceremony took place 101 years ago as the Jews of Philadelphia gathered in a cemetery with the goal of defeating the deadly influenza outbreak. By the time it was finally over, the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918-1919 claimed 50-100 million lives worldwide. In the U.S. over 670,000 people died, and the dead were piling up in the city of Philadelphia.

Although its origins are entirely unknown, the black wedding had been imported from Eastern Europe, where it had been practiced since the 18th century. The earliest recorded black wedding was performed in 1785 in the presence of one of the great early leaders of Ḥasidism, Rabbi Elimelekh of Lizhensk. It took place in response to an outbreak of cholera. The bride was a thirty-six-year-old villager and the groom a thirty-year-old water carrier; . . . the wedding was attended by other ḥasidic leaders including the famed Seer of Lublin.

Considering the current state of Israel-Arab relations, Ghaith al-Omari writes

First and foremost, no ceasefire will be possible without the release of Israeli hostages and commitments to disarm Hamas and remove it from power. The final say on these matters rests with Hamas commanders on the ground in Gaza, who have been largely impervious to foreign pressure so far. At minimum, however, the United States should insist that Qatari and Egyptian mediators push Hamas’s external leadership to accept these conditions publicly, which could increase pressure on the group’s Gaza leadership.

Washington should also demand a clear, public position from key Arab states regarding disarmament. The Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas endorsed this position in a June letter to Saudi Arabia and France, giving Arab states Palestinian cover for endorsing it themselves.

Some Arab states have already indicated a willingness to play a significant role, but they will have little incentive to commit resources and personnel to Gaza unless Israel (1) provides guarantees that it will not occupy the Strip indefinitely, and (2) removes its veto on a PA role in Gaza’s future, even if only symbolic at first. Arab officials are also seeking assurances that any role they play in Gaza will be in the context of a wider effort to reach a two-state solution.

On the other hand, Washington must remain mindful that current conditions between Israel and the Palestinians are not remotely conducive to . . . implementing a two-state solution.