During the coronavirus pandemic, Uri Allen became the rabbi of suburban New Jersey synagogue that “was once a vibrant and shining example of post-war Conservative Judaism” but had become “just a shell of its former self.” Allen and his congregants realized not too long afterward that it would soon be time to shutter its doors, something that is likely to happen to many American houses of Jewish worship in the coming years. He describes the process, to which he gave careful thought, looking to traditional laws of burial and mourning for guidance. Particularly difficult was

finding good homes for almost 100 years of things that one finds in a synagogue. Siddurim and mahzorim [holiday prayer books] were donated, and congregants took home photographs, plaques, and other keepsake items. Some of the furniture was sold. The disposition of our Torah scrolls required more thought. [The congregation] was fortunate to have seven Torah scrolls, all of which found wonderful, new homes. Some went to new synagogues where our members had relatives. We sent one Torah each to emerging communities in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Byron Bay, Australia; and Riverdale, New York.

Even as the Torahs left our possession, we were touched to know they would be part of Judaism lived elsewhere. Our members felt good about the fact that their sacred Torah scrolls would be used by Jewish communities all around the world. This gave the congregation an immense sense of purpose.

Last week, Jordanian police arrested sixteen members of the country’s branch of the Muslim Brotherhood for acquiring explosives, trying to manufacture drones, and planning rocket attacks. The cell was likely working in coordination with Hamas (the Palestinian offshoot of the Brotherhood) and Hizballah, and perhaps receiving funding from Iran. Ghaith al-Omari provides some background:

The Brotherhood has been active in Jordan since the 1940s, and its relations with the government remained largely cooperative for decades even as other political parties were banned in the 1950s. In exchange, the Brotherhood usually (but not always) supported the palace’s foreign policy and security measures, particularly against Communist and socialist parties.

Relations became more adversarial near the turn of the century after the Brotherhood vociferously opposed the 1994 peace treaty with Israel. The Arab Spring movement that emerged in 2011 saw further deterioration. Unlike other states in the region, however, Jordan did not completely crack down on the MB, instead seeking to limit its influence.

Yet the current Gaza war has seen another escalation, with the MB repeatedly accusing the government of cooperating with Israel and not doing enough to support the Palestinians.

Jordanian security circles are particularly worried about the MB’s vocal wartime identification with Hamas, an organization that was considered such a grave security threat that it was expelled from the kingdom in 1999. The sentiment among many Jordanian officials is that the previous lenient approach failed to change the MB’s behavior, emboldening the group instead.