The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-10-05
The .BewIsla Divorces.
New York Tribune.

Tue. recent arrest Of Caesar Bloch,
an Alsatian jew, for bigamy, has cali
ed attention to the assumption OF
Judicial functions by, Polish and Rus
sian Rabbis over the members of their
congregations, and even by private
persons of the Jewish faith. Bloch,
according to the evidence produced
against him, went to person by the
name Of S. Levy, and obtained q di-.
vorce from his wife for So, and i'm
mediately afterwards was married by
a Rabbi to another woman. Cases of
this nature, according to Information
obtained from Rabbis and Presidents
of synagOgues, are not of infrequeRt
occurrence, as the orthodox Jews re-
gard the laws of Moses and of the
Talmud as superior to State laws,
whenever they may differ upon any
point. Although the Jewish syna-
gogues in this country are not united
and acknowledge no common head,
yet so great is the generation Of the
Ignorant Polish and Russian Jews for
their Rabbis and learned men that they
prefer to submit.their litigations to
them before the tribunals of the GEN
tiles. In Russia and Turkey the Gov.
eminent does not interfere in the mu-
tual relations OF the Jews, but allows
them to settle their own affairsas re-
CARDS, marrige, divorce, ETC., among
themselves. aessss =
The extent sto which this reliance
upon thelaw of the Talmud has been
carried in this country has excited the
attention of the leaders of the reform
ed Jews, and of certain orthodox Jews
who have either been born or have
long resided In this country Especi-
ally is this easy means of obtaining
divorces distasteful to many Jewish
women who have grown up in New
York Although the Rabbis state
that, when they grant q divorce, it is
by the mutual consent of the man and
Wlfe, still in the certificate of divorce
the release Of the husband by the wife
Polish and Russian Jewesses are utter
" liifterate, and the awe with which
they regard their learned men is gen.
orally sufficient prevent them from
seeking a remedy by other means.
While. many of the orthodox Jews
show some averslon to this easy sys-
tenn of divorce, nearly all maintain
the supremacy of the Talmud.-o Said
one - If married man falls in love
with smother women, is it not Better
that he should divorces his wife and
marry her, since he can have only one
wifeRp AN English Jew stated yes
terday that the English Courts were
strict in suppressing this practice, and,
when an English Jew wished TO OBJ
tain divorce, he went to Holland.
The President of q German synagogue
said that the German Jews did not
follow this practice, but whenever the
Mosaic and State laws were at vari-
ance, the Jews were obliged TO give
the preference to the former.
Hyam SakolskI, President of the
Synagogue Beth Hamedrash, said to
generally regarded the Mosaic law as
supreme, and that referring to pass
age in Deuteronomy permits q man
whose wife has become distasteful to
him to put her away. But he has 20
obtain her consent first, and then they
go to. Rabbi, who gives the wife q
certificate of divorce from her hus-
band, and with il q sum of money
which her husband had bound himself
on his wedding-day to give her at her
divorce, or which was to become hers
after his death. The former Rabbi of
this synagogue, the Rev. Mr.. Aarons,
granted divorces on several occs sions,
but Mr.. Sakolski said that he had liv-
ed twenty-eight years in this country,
and had doubts as to the proprity OF
the practice. When persons came TO
him to be divorced, he endeaVored to
reconcile them, and, If he failed, he
refused to divorce them, and told them
to seek . separation elsewhere.
The Rev. A. Ash, Rabbi of the
Beth HamedEash Hagadd,
saId that the Talmudicals writers had
written about 100 volumes upon the
subject OF marriage and divorce. He
himself has divorced persons, bat only
upon mutual consent, and upon the
conditions that they should go TO the
courts and there obtain legal divorce.
81 viii show you 3 certificate of di-
vorce, the Rabbi added, and he
brought down q Hebrew document
which he translated as follows: 81,
Israel of the City OF New York,
which is near the sea, and situated on
the bank Of the Hndson River, do, of
my own Tree will, and without any
pressure having been brought To bear
upon NE, hereby divorce YOU from me
and expeh you from my house, and
give you full liberty 70 marry any
.0tner man whom you may choose
Then follow the husbands signature
and those of two witnesses. The
reporter asked. sADOes the wife give.
the husband asimilar documents reiesa-
ing him ?" mo, che does not; &c IL
unnecessary" replied the Rabbi.