Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 69.djvu/514

510 not depend on the rabbinical divorce law, but follow the civil laws of the countries in which they live. From the few statistical data available it is seen that during the middle of last century divorce was less frequent among the Jews in Bavaria than among the christian population in that country. The same appears to be the case in Berlin, as can be seen from the following figures:

Although the rates are lower among the Jews than among the christians, still there is to be noted a steady increase in the frequency of divorces among them, from 2.67 in 1885 to 3.26 in 1896. Another way to calculate the divorce rate is by taking the number of divorces in any one year per 1,000 married couples found in a city. In Berlin, during the five years, 1895 to 1899, the rates were 3.75 among the Jews and 5.09 among the christians.

In eastern Europe there are more divorces among the Jews in Hungary and Roumania than among the christians. In Hungary, from 1898 to 1901, the divorces among the Jews constituted 9.51 per cent, of the total number of divorces granted in that country, although the Jews only constituted 4.42 per cent, of the total population. In Roumania 5.83 per cent, of the divorces granted during 1897 were granted to Jews, while only 4.55 per cent, of the total population was Jewish.

There are no statistics about divorces among the Jews in the United States, but it can be stated, without fear of meeting serious contradiction, that it is not uncommon. The divorce courts in New York City are quite often asked by Jews to dissolve their marriage. I am inclined to believe that it is in New York as frequent among Jews as among christians. On the east side of the city the immigrant population very often take advantage of the rabbinical law, and easily obtain divorces. But among the native Jews this never happens; they go to the civil courts for the purpose.

From a few scanty statistics about the causes of divorce among Jews, it is evident that there is very little difference between Jews and Christians in this respect. In Berlin, Buppin mentions that infelicity on the part of the husband is more frequently a cause among Jews than among christians, while infelicity on the part of the wife is more frequent among christians. Wife desertion is also more frequent among Jews than among christians in Berlin.