| White slavery and prostitution of young Jewish | | | | that the wedding would have to take place once |
| teenage girls from the late nineteenth century | | | | they reached their destination, because he was |
| through the early part of the twentieth century is | | | | afraid of being picked up for conscription into the |
| a tragic fact that many, even most in the Jewish | | | | military if he made himself too public. Other times, |
| community, are not aware. Yet, young women, | | | | however, he did consent to a local family wedding, |
| most of whom originated in the Pale of | | | | which in the scheme of things, meant nothing |
| Settlement (far off territories by the | | | | more than another cost of procurement. |
| Russian-Polish border), found themselves conned | | | | Consequently, it was not unusual for these men |
| into leaving their impoverished families by dapper | | | | to use several aliases and be married to several |
| young men who came offering marriage and the | | | | women. |
| promise of a comfortable and even luxurious life. | | | | With hopes of a better life for both herself and |
| These men were actually Jewish pimps, who | | | | the family she left behind, Jewish girls set off to |
| worked in the white slavery trade, trafficking | | | | foreign ports including Liverpool and Southampton, |
| unsuspecting, young Jewish girls into a life of | | | | with hopes of marriage, children, and modern |
| prostitution. | | | | comforts. The pimp usually did not disclose his |
| As young as sixteen, these girls, and their families | | | | true intention before placing his bride in her final |
| were victims of an elaborate con game, in which | | | | destination, i.e. the bordello, in order to keep her |
| a dapper young man traveled to a shtetl (small | | | | from trying to escape. Even in cases where the |
| Jewish village) under the guise of seeking a bride. | | | | girl attempted to escape, they were illiterate and |
| His target was finding an attractive girl whom he | | | | did not speak English, and therefore unable to |
| could persuade to marry him. Usually these girls | | | | communicate their plight to any authority. The |
| came from a large impoverished family, often | | | | pimps were able to easily explain away any signs |
| victims of pogroms (riots). He came bearing gifts | | | | of hysteria to anyone who questioned the girl's |
| and courted the girl long enough to get her | | | | distressful behavior. Once they landed in the |
| confidence, as well as the permission of her | | | | interim destination port, these girls were often |
| parents or guardian to marry. This usually did not | | | | raped and beaten until they were transported to |
| take very long, as it was not too difficult to | | | | New York, South America, South Africa, or the |
| convince them that the opportunity to forsake a | | | | Far East; England usually served as a transit port, |
| life of poverty and danger in exchange for the | | | | although some girls did remain there, albeit their |
| promise of a comfortable, luxurious, and even | | | | fates were no different. Those women, who |
| exciting life in a big city such as London, Paris, or | | | | remained in England, were primary taken to the |
| New York. Usually, the conman was so smooth, | | | | East End of London and sold there. |
| that he even convinced his fiance and her parents | | | | |