New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-12-19
YIDDISH DIVORCES.
They Dire Boldly 4dUertised for an
the East End of London.

Matrimonial advertisements nothing new
either in this country abroad. But there will
probably be something novel to most people IN the
idea of married folk advertising for divorce IN
the same public and businessike fashion, says
THE London Standard" Rather uncommon
proceeding anywhere. many readers will, i'm
agne be inclined to remark Far from IL. though.
1t is quite ordinary thing among the mixed and
motley foreign multitude quartered in the ghettos
of East London Here. in the very first OF a batch
of Yiddish journals which 1 CHANGED 70 lay
hands In the East End. come across one or these
singular advertisements. II is typical of it's kind
and Is inserted by woman residing in the Aid
gate district. who requests her absent husband TO
oblige and send her divorce. much in the same
way as a dealer would ask customer to favor
him with a remittance in the ordinary course OF
trade The notice is headed. in Yiddish. of course
'Ikh zikh min mann; that is. Il am looking Tor
my husband 1t sets forth that the said mann
has left his wife and children for some time. The
wife has however, managed to build up a quite
blznes" which is too much for her to carry on
alone. so he may return and help II not. the ad-
vertisement concludes. will he at once send her
a divorce, and she Will go back 'derheim' to Rus
sia her parents" There is. may aud, nothing
anonymous about the notice. no suppression, no
attempt TO conceal the identity OF the parties
cerned. The names given in full. well as
the address TO which the desired document is 10
be transmitted. All. in fact. is plain. dire, and
straightforward. suggesting at that the giving
ceeding among the foreign Jews over here. And
so. indeed it is. 1t is reduced TO business.
business which. in its details and circumstances.
throws instructive light on some of the singular
actualities OF Yiddsh life in East London.
The divorce here referred to. and customary
among the Jewish Eastenders. is not of course
a divorce according to the law of the land. 1t
is the so-styled Rabbinical 'ghet,'' the modern
equivalent of the Biblical Bill of enforcement
which a husband. under the Mosaic dispensaton
could and hiS wife md srpTr rid If
all practical purposes. so far the Yiddsn
residents here are concerned. this ''ghet' is a
criminal OF rhe empire If as in rhs Csc 19 = a.
advertisements above quoted. the chooses
to Muscovite law. The Jews throughout the Cars
domnions have the privilege OF their own mar
scription is divorce la Russo The can
second union being valid in Russia, viii be deemed
valid here And il the woman should elect
kabbis who. for consideration will undertake
re-marry either of the sundered parties accord
Ing to llddlsh custom, IN what Is known through
out EAST London as Shule Hupa. sometimes
"a Saturday night marriAse," of which
The difficulty which invariably arises in con-
is due to the action OF the husband; And for d
the term goes the woman having power of com
pusion, and the man is frequently astute enough.
and unprincipled enough, TO trade upon this fact.
He does not refuse the release, but offers it for
stances Tesove Itself into s6methn IN 1ery 0sI uds
a. form OF Matchmaking. The wifes
makes the most Of it. His usual course is to try
to ascertain, either in person through some
friend. what is his wife's position and what means
she has and how far her family and friends are
likely to support her. and then he fixes his terms
accordingly. He may demand anything, from ten to
thirty pounds, before sancttoning the preparation
Of the "ghet" document L have known a Polish
Jew content take little five pounds
small business that his wife possessed as consd-
grafton money for divorce / have heard of a /
Litvak." or Lithuanian-who is regarded , as the /
very scum of the European Jewry-Stand out for |
ifty. and get it, too Hebrews in Russia marry !
very young. and every year scores of youthful 4
Muscovte husbands. tired of welded life some [
over to this country leaving their wives behind /
In such cases il is quite a common thing fer the {
father of the deserted girl follow in the rope Of
arranging for 'ghet," that she may De en-
ibled To marry again in the event of the husband !
efusing to return As "A rule. these men are open
o persuasion. and offer of cash down gener- {
lily the desired release.