Digest of Public Opinion on Jewish Matters

[The purpose of the Digest is, informative: Preference is given to papers not generally accessible to our readers. Quotation dose not indicate approval -Editor.]

The ruling of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court declaring the Ketubah, the Jewish orthodox religious marriage contract, valid before the law, should be used, the “Jewish Morning Journal” (June 18) urges, as a basis also for the recognition of the Jewish religious divorce laws.

The significance of the Appellate Court’s decision, the paper points out, lies not so much in the recognition of the Ketubah, as “in the accompanying declaration made by the Court. Once it is recognized that the Jewish religious marriage law which has been in existence among the Jews for thousands of years, is not a foreign law’ and is valid in American courts, it must be legally determined that the Jewish religious divorce law should likewise be recognized.”

Calling attention to the fact that the question of divorce has been more troublesome than that of marriage, the paper remarks in conclusion:

“This question has not yet been aired in the courts or legislatures and it is even difficult to obtain from Jewish lawyer and judges a statement that the Jewish laws must be respected and might even be used as an example to bring clarity into the American laws regarding marriage and divorce. The decision of the Appellate Court offers an opportunity to take up this whole problem, and the lawyer who obtained the ruling in a position to know what can be done in this matter in the future.”

COMPLAINS OF MISSIONARIES’ ACTIVITY AMONG THE JEWISH REFUGEES IN DANZIG

The complaint that the youths among the Jewish refugees stranded in Danzig, who are suffering severe hardships are being preyed upon, without hindrance, by missionaries, is made by the Danzig correspondent of “Der Moment,” Yiddish daily of Warsaw.

“Can there be a more important work for our communal workers and rabbis,” the correspondent asks, “than to combat the missionaries and to help out the young men and women whom misfortune is driving into the camp of the missionaries for a piece of bread and and bed to sleep in. Surely other communities would have taken all possible steps to prevent the missionaries from exerting an influence on hungry and suffering Jews. Here in Danzig, however,it is amazing with what indifference this matter is looked upon. It is a disgrace that in the heart of the East-European Jewish quarter the missionaries are allowed to do as they please, when such a paltry sum as 200 gulden a month for relief would nullify their afforts.”