New-York tribune., 1900-09-30
JEWS WE'D WITHOUTBROKERS
SCHATCHENS FIND BUSINESS BAD AND
DEPLoRE THE UNHAPPINEsS
SURE TO FOLLOW.

This has been hard year for the Cupids Of the
Ghetto. the matrimonial agents Of the Jewish
quarter might be called. To the Jews he s known
as the schatchen but unless the marriage business
picks up the broker Is going to drop out Of sight
Already he is branching out into other ways of
making living. He writes letters for the Hitter
ate, acts interpreter In business transactions
does odd jobs around the synagogues. Marriage
brokerage used 10 be one Of the best paying busi-
nesses on the East Side. but that day has passed,
and the schatchens think it will never return.
When the Jews began to come TO this city in
large numbers and to crowd the Germans out OF the
East Side district they brought the marriage
with them They had always been accustomed 20
having a professional matchmaker arrange their
marriages, and at that time they did not know
how to get along without IT, The young men
were bashful and than willing give
up 10 per cent of the girls dowry If some one
else would put the question Besides they made
sure OF getting a wife in this way. They would go
10 the broker, schatchen and outline their ideal
Of a wife. forgetting mention the amount
Of dowry they expected. The schatchen would
personal appearance, education and money making
ability. Then he would go among the young
md some one who was willing to wed on the terms
which the broker had TO offer.
The schatchen's fee was paid soon as the en-
gagement was announced It usually amounted to
stipulated fee was charged where the girl very
pretty ana her people unable to give large mar
rage portion Sometimes the schatchen had trouble
collecting his fee. and in these cases he evened
things. up by breaking or the match. There were
many ways of doing this If the at fault
the schatchen would get the girl Il more desirable
match, and love had not entered into the first
engagement IL speedily broken leaving the
man sadder but wiser. II the schatchen discovered
that the girl had objected 10 paying the fee he
found prettier girl for the
This the way IT used 10 be done. Let the
oldest schatchen in the colony tell why II is that his
services longer in great demand He Is TO
be found in HeSter-st.. and the sign outside his
door asserts that he writes letters. makes transla-
tions and teaches Hebrew English.
Il would starve TO death in month II de-
pended matchmaking for a living" he said BIT
tery. "Once I lived the fat of the land, and
the quarter depended on me to make them happy
for life Now they believe in love and all that rot.
They making their own marriages. and many
OF them viii be unhappy. Several things combined
10 bring about the change In the first place there
too many girls in the Jewish quarter. There
six seven girls after every man. This
makes the young fellows hard TO deal with. They
for the asking. Some Of the women still come TO
me- but IL Is hard TO find mates for them.
They learned how TO start their own love AFFAIRS
from the Americans, and 1t is one or the worst
things they have picked up. How can a Jewish
couple expect TO be happy in a marriage OF their
own making when 1t has been the custom of their
fathers and mothers for ages not to each other
until after marriage? The love which they have
learned to put much faith in drtbbleS out in
trips to Coney and walks around the parks before
marriage. In a month they are figuring out ways
of getting rid OF each other In the old way every
month Of married life made the young people more
attached TO each other. They may come back to
the old way OF doing things, and for their own
sakes I hope they do.