THE JEWS: RACE AND ENVIRONMENT 267 



It is noteworthy that the percentage of illegitimacy among the 

 Jews increases as we proceed from east to west of Europe. It is very 

 low in Russia, about one-half of one per cent, higher in Bavaria, 2.5 

 per cent., and reaches over three per cent, in Prussia, while in Berlin 

 it is even 5.55 per cent. This indicates that where the Jews are not 

 affected by modern civilized conditions, the chastity of the women is 

 much superior, the family ties are much stronger, and the girls only 

 rarely go wrong. In the small towns of Russia, Poland and Galicia, 

 one only rarely hears of a Jewish child born out of wedlock. Un- 

 married women seldom associate, even socially, with men before mar- 

 riage. The absence of alcoholism, particularly among Jewesses who 

 never drink, is another factor in keeping the sexes apart. But in the 

 large cities in eastern Europe, where the separation of the sexes is 

 not so strict, illegitimacy is encountered. In western Europe it is 

 more frequent for the same reason. It was shown by Euppin that in 

 Germany illegitimacy is rarer among the Jews in eastern Prussia 

 (Posen, Pomerania, East and West Prussia) where they adhere strictly 

 to their orthodox religion, while in the large cities, where they have 

 adopted many of the habits and customs of their christian neighbors, 

 the percentage of illegitimacy is much higher, though still smaller than 

 among non-Jews. In Russia also it is rare in Lithuania, only 0.02 per 

 cent, in the province of Wilna, 0.24 per cent, in Minsk, 0.19 in Kovno, 

 etc., while in the southern provinces it occurs more often, reaching 

 1.57 per cent, in Bessarabia and 1.19 per cent, in Ekaterinoslav. 



It is well known that illegitimate births are very rare among women 

 living with their parents, while agricultural servants, domestics, factory 

 hands, etc., show the highest percentage of births out of wedlock. The 

 Jewish women in eastern Europe only rarely live away from their 

 parents or relatives, comparatively few are engaged in domestic 

 service, and practically none are agricultural servants. In the small 

 town a Jewish girl rarely works outside of her home. In western 

 Europe social conditions of the Jews are nearer those of the christians 

 among whom they live, and illegitimacy is more frequent than in the 

 east. But inasmuch as the economic condition of the Jews in western 

 Europe is superior to the average non-Jewish, the women being taken 

 better care of, illegitimacy is rarer than among Gentiles. 



