| -- The wedding contract -- | | | | reflect the individual lifestyles of the modern bride and |
| A ketubah is a special legal document, the marriage | | | | groom. |
| contract, which is an integral part of a Jewish wedding | | | | -- Getting your Ketuba -- |
| ceremony. It outlines the rights and responsibilities of | | | | Finding a suitable ketuba has become one of the more |
| the groom in relation to the bride. It was set up in | | | | enjoyable preparations of the bride and groom as they |
| ancient times by the Rabbis to protect the wife in | | | | lead up to their big day. Ketuba writing and painting has |
| case her husband died prematurely or divorced her in | | | | always been a mainstay of Jewish ceremonial art. |
| which case she would lose her financial support. To | | | | There are many artists nowadays who apply their |
| ensure the wife would not become destitute and | | | | talents to creating unique and individual ketubot and |
| without means the ketuba ensured that a sum of | | | | these works can be found in many of the gift shops |
| money was paid to the wife in the event the marriage | | | | and artist studios throughout Israel and in the many |
| ended. Nowadays a modern equivalent would be | | | | stores throughout the world that service the wider |
| maintenance in the case of divorce. | | | | Jewish communities. |
| -- The Ketuba today -- | | | | -- Your Ketuba, your wedding and your home -- |
| Traditionally, ketubot are written in Aramaic, the spoken | | | | Once the desired ketuba is found, it is used under the |
| language of Jews at the time ketubot became | | | | chuppa, the wedding canopy, as part of the wedding |
| standardized. Over the years up until more recent | | | | service. It is read out by the Rabbi and witnessed and |
| times, the content and style had basically remained the | | | | signed by two people. It is considered an honor to be |
| same with slight differences found between the | | | | chosen as the witnesses and sometimes there can be |
| sephardic and askenazic versions however in the last | | | | a serious discussion amongst concerned parties as to |
| century with the growth of the conservative and | | | | who is to be chosen! At the end of the ceremony the |
| reform movements changes have been made to | | | | ketuba is given to the bride or bride's mother for |
| include translations to Hebrew and English for example | | | | safekeeping and often later finds its way on to the |
| and additional texts that help avoid situations of a | | | | walls of the new couple's home as an adornment for |
| chained wife. Other broader types of variations can be | | | | their new home. |
| inclusions of texts from secular literary sources that | | | | |