The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-02-08
DIFFICULT BUSINESS
THAT OF THE JEWISH MARRIAGE
BROKER IN LoNDON's EAST END.
Experiences of an Old Man Who Has
spent Many Years in the Work and
Achieved Wide Reputation.
London Standard.


the raw and the shammas-the rabbi and
the beadle, that Island is often regarded
as more important parsonage than either.
OF late years the shadkhen has been ac-
climatized over here among the immigrant
foreigners who are rapidly filling the East
End and the matrimonial agent and go
between is now an established feature of
Yiddish social life in that part of the
metropolis. There dozen of these
brokers to be found within a half-mile
radius of Whitechapel Church who make n
good living and something more out of the
calling. The business is not unknown, as
need hardly point out, in other commune
ties, but the shadkhen is sui generis.
1t is not an easy business. that of a mat
rimonial agent, among VIGOROUSLY diffcile
people like the Jews. A good shadkhen, re-
marked one of the fraternity to me few
days ago, needs "gonovkop," that Is, a
thief's head. on his shoulders. He must be
astute and ready-witted, always good hui
mored. not too scrupulous and sharp as
his clients are apt to be. An East Ender
in this line with whom have long had
acquaintance is a certain Reb Moishe Shad-
khen. Reb, may explain, is the short for
rabbi, In compliment to his former rabbin-
ical standing, Moishe is the Yiddish form Of
In respect of his special vocation. He lives
In one or the cleaner side streets of the
Jewish colony and is quite leader in his
prolessl on ne mas good connection
tr1ct and has, moreover, an extensive Glen
tele In the provinces where he formerly re-
sided. He has arranged to my certain
knowledge the preliminaries of a matri
monial partnership where the dowry ran to
600 and yet he is not above negotiating
for twelve and sixpenny fee the marriage
nf x.rf%y hi
week and the daughter of petty hawker
whose dot comprises feather bed, two
saucepans, deal table and f3 los in gold:
his time. Indeed. he does a good deal of
miscellaneous business along with 1t. He
acts as scribe, writes out Hebrew agree
ments and contracts and prepares charms
for those patrons who require them. If
child is sick he inscribes on parchment the
proper rabbinical formula to cure it; when
one is born he makes UP the needful form
or exorcism to keep the witch Lillith away.
OTHER DUTIES.
| He presides at a little Khevra synagogue
close by, and reads the Mishnah every
evening with select company of elderly
Hebrews, who have nothing to do, and
about as much to live upon He occupies
an entire fat of three rooms on the ground
floor of his house, the front apartment fur
nished as a parlor, where his clients are
/
partitioned off by folding door, is a bed
chamber, and the piece in rear is kitchen
and sitting room, where his wife, the
rabbetzen, presides. She is a colorless
parsonage, whose principal occupation in
life seems to be preparing '1okshen," sort
| or homemade vermicelH much esteemed by
| the foreign element. 1 have never caught
the woman without the dough and rolling
| pin In hand, and her time has always been
| fairly divided between rolling the paste on
| the table till 1t fell off and cropping for it
on the floor till she found and replaced it
| again. l have yet to see the lokshen in
/ the cut and finished stage.
| Reb Moishe himself is elderly man.,
| about sixty or sixty-two years Of age. He
| Is rather garrulous, ready to talk of HIM
| self and his business with the utmost free
dom. His story is worth the telling If
only for the purpose Of showing what
strange personalities go to the making up
| OF the complex social medley accommodating
| in East London. He was born in Russia
OF very poor parents. AS a lad his father
decided he was too lazy to peddle, and too
| impatient to be mechanic so he was sent
| to the Veshiba, or Talmudic school, to be
made rabbi. Here he learned to kill cat
tie according to Jewish custom, decide re-
| ligfouS questions, and drone through pass
ages of the Gemara and Mishna with the
approved sing-song of the orthodox. He
| then married, and received an appointment
| in small congregation, where he acted as
"shatz, matz and KATE "a Yiddish euphem-
ism for general utility man in a congrega-
L
| dren Hebrew, read the prayers, and decided
religious and ritual questions submitted to
him, for twelve rubles-say. 80 shillings-
but for a misfortune. The wife of the
| parnas, or president, happened to put a
| pound or butter on meat plate. The plate
| was washed, but CHANGED TO get mixed with
others of the kind, and the important ritual
| question then arose, whether all the plates
were to be regarded as unclean or might
they be used. Reb Moishe decided that
4 StralRltw3V he
party, led by the gabay, or treasurer were
In arms They obtained the opinion of three
Reb Moishe was on lam oretz," an igno-
ramus; the second. that he had broken the
hedge around the law" the third that
converted SO he gave up the rabbinate
and took "schenk." or drinking shop
Here, again. things went wrong. So Rel
Moishe said "moikhel," literally asked
pardon" a euphemism which means "cut
OH" He came to England. and after trying
his fortune In various provincial towns
fnaiiy settled down as shadkhen in the
East End OF London. In this capacity he
was lucky enough to make one or two sue
cesses, and his standing as a marriage
seek him from all parts and he has nc
need TO advertise, like some in order tC
secure custom.
THE SHADKHEN'S METHODS
The methods of the East End Shadkher
are, as a rule, quite simple. Jewish Gus
tom and social life tend to favor his oper.
atoms and give him an opening for his
negotiations. The high days and holidays
of the synagogue are all, more or less, do.
mestic celebrations, when eating and drink
ing and merrymaking are the orthodox
thing, even among the very poorest who
seek public charity. Complimentary visit.
are then de rigueur, and these are Rel
Moishes opportunities. At a house whers
he calls he finds young daughter Of mar
riageable age. Take a sheine maud" lit
orally Really, a fine girl" he observe.
to the father. The young woman smirks
the parents smile. "Nokh nit a kalah
he adds. Not yet BRIDE Well we'll
We must find a Khosen'-tha; Is, a bride
groom. The young woman smiles again
The father shakes his mead from side Il
side, as IL weighing the suggestion
"Lekakh'-a favorite honeycake-and spir
its are handed round. The Shadkhen ant
the father whisper few moments apart
is seen the following Saturday afternoon
when, quite by chance of course thu
father, mother and a couple of female rela
| tives with the daughter look in at Rel
Moishe's place. There they find. in tn
small front parlor, another father. mothe
and female relatives, with a smart youni
man. all of whom happen to have callet
upon the Shadkhen, also by accident Tn
young. people are perfectly cogniZant o
all the meeting implies. and look at eacl
! other out of the tail of their eyes. Intro
auctions are made, refreshments are serve,
round. and a little talk ensues. Then al