El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-16
Jewish Women Are
Favored In Turkey
Social Position as to Personal and
Proprietary Rights Is Better
than That of Native Women.
By Madison G. Peters.

1.-THE total number Of Jews in Tur-
key, including Syria, Palestine and
Il Tripoli. is estimated at ass, 900; Of
these upward of 100000 Including the
Jews of Constantinople) are in Europe.
There are only $4,000 Jews in Jerusa-
lem.
In every way the native Jews Of
Turkey are far more behind the times
than any of the other races; and in
no country, not even in Russia, are they
treated with more contumely chan in
the Ottoman empire. But the social
position Of Judean woman in Turkey,
particularly as to. personal and propri-
etary rights, is vastly better than that
of the women Of native Christians, and
even, in some respects, than that Of
MOslem women.
Favored by Divorce Laws.
Jewish customs respecting marriage
and divorce are clsely allied with those
Of Che AIoslems, except that the divorce
laws are more favorable to Jewish wo-
men, As elsewhere in eastern Europe
the internal affairs among the Jews
are managed by rabbinical court, TO
which the women may apply for a di-
vOrce. which court on finding the WO-
mans claim to be well founded. may
not only force the husband to divorce
the wife, but compel him, besides re-
turning the dowry, to pay the money
TO which she would have been entitled
Turkey. though she does not inherit
her husbands property, has a right, If
she does not remarry, to remain in her
deceased husbands house and be sup
ported by his heirs in the style to which
she was accustomed during her married
life.
Early marriages are the rule
throughout the east, though not as
rigidly enforced elsewhere as in Jeru-
salem; Is to II years being in Jerusa-
aTsn
there often marry before thirteen.
Often Live With the Old Folks.
So young at marriage and unable to
maintain an establishment Of their own
the young couple remain at home ana II
is q common thing to find several mar
ried brothers living with their wives
under the roof of their father, whose
chief delight is to see the grandchildren
grow up around him
Increase and multiply" is the scrip
tural injunction emphasized. As a re-
suit the head Of the house is old while
he is still young in years, and his Vile
al 80 is an aged woman.
Though allowed to take a second
wife, without divorcing the first If the
latter is either childless or the mother
of girls only. wife number 1 may de-
mand that number 2 be maintained in
another house. And thus the matter
Of expense makes more than one wife
the exception in Turkey.
Largely Matter of Money.
Usually the parents select the hus-
band. But the girl may reject their
choice MatrimOny is largely a mat
ter of money. and the bargain usually
made by a third party. A promise to
marry is considered binding. At the
betrothal the brides dOWry is fixed in
the presence of 10 witnesses, the
amount to be paid in case of divorce.
and the date of the wedding are decided
upon. The contract is a civil one.
although the rabbi pronOunces the
blessings.
Marriage being a legal transaction
Jewish weddings never take place on
the Sabbath. Weddings in May or on
festival days. or during that period are
considered unlucky.
After the bridal party's return from
the synaEOgs where prayers were said /
they 20 to the house of the brides pa
rents. where the bride is led three times /
around the bridegroom, a ceremony re- |
ferred to in the saying Of Jerusalem,
1.-THE woman shall compass a man"
The rabbi. now holding in his hand
glass of wine prays, abiding to the
sanctity of matrimOny. He blesses the (
bridal pair, hands the cup to them and /
when they have slipped the wine, the I
man places a ring on the woman's fin |
ger. emblematic of her sanctificatiOn (
to him Another glass of wine is /
passed around while the rabbi pro- |
nOunces blessings. Then one Of the I
synag officials deposits upon the /
ground, at the feet of the bridegroom, !
an ordinary wine glass.
Breaking the Glass.
The bridegroom, standing upon IT,