What is a Ketubah and what does it say?
A Ketubah is a marriage contract that explains the basic material, conjugal and moral responsibilities of the husband to his wife. It is signed by the groom, as well as by two male witnesses, and given to the bride during the wedding ceremony.
Literally translated from the Hebrew, Ketubah means "it is written", i.e., it is a written Jewish marriage contract. The traditional Orthodox Ketubah text was written by Simeon Ben Shetach in 80 B.C.E. and is in Aramaic (the vernacular language that was spoken by Jews in the aftermath of the destruction of the First Temple, it is written in Hebrew letters). Traditionally according to Jewish Law, the groom committed himself to abide by the terms of the contract: to provide for and support his wife the entire time she resides in his home and to pay her a certain financial settlement if he divorces her. Historically, the Ketubah marked a great leap forward in the thinking about the rights of women. In fact it is one of the first legal documents giving them financial and legal rights. The purpose of the Ketubah is to protect the woman's rights during the marriage and in case she is divorced or widowed. In addition, it provided benefits to the wife and daughters after the husband's death (benefits far exceeding the Anglo-American legal system which was more solicitous of creditors and male heirs).
Is the Ketubah part of the wedding ceremony? At the wedding, under the chuppah (marriage canopy), parts of the Ketubah are paraphrased and read out loud. According to Jewish law, it is forbidden for Jewish couples to live together without a Ketubah. If the Ketubah is lost, a new one must be written.
Is it traditional to decorate the Ketubah?
It has been traditional to decorate the Ketubah's Hebrew texts with artistic designs (see Traditional Jewish design). Judaic artistry flourished particularly in the Ketubah. Some of the most beautiful Ketubot in existence come from 14th century Spain, the Golden Era and from Italy and Morocco in the wake of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain and Portugal in 1492 and 1497.
Why are there so many Ketubah texts?
The Orthodox text is standard though today, owing to the variety of modern Jewish movements, a number of Hebrew and English texts are available for Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Commitment (unisexual) and Interfaith marriages. The modern texts tend to stress the mutual commitment and love of the couple rather than the monetary aspects contained in the traditional Ketubah text.
Which is the right Ketubah text for us?
We offer texts for all kinds of Jewish weddings - Orthodox, Conservative, Reform - Egalitarian, Humanistic Secular, Interfaith weddings, Commitment ceremonies and Anniversary celebrations. See Table of Ketubah Texts. Please note: In order to choose the right text, it is of utmost importance to discuss this issue with the Rabbi or Officiant who will officiate at the wedding ceremony. KETUBAH MAZAL TOV allows you to choose the design and match the text to it so that no matter what your religious inclination you can enjoy the same preferred design. Note: For those couples intending to make Aliyah to Israel, it is preferable to choose the Orthodox Ketubah text (with or without translation to English) so there will be no problems concerning its validity before the Israeli Bet Din (Rabbinic court).
Will we need a civil marriage license as well?
The couple will also need to obtain a civil marriage license from the state in which they plan to be married. In order to obtain this license, you need to check with the local clerk of courts concerning procedures such as waiting periods and blood tests.
What is a Giclee print?
A very popular method of fine art reproduction, Giclee (pronounced jee-clay') (from French word meaning "sprayed ink") printing is a relatively new process of producing limited-edition, fine art prints. More than four million droplets of ink per second are sprayed onto paper or canvas capturing the finest nuances of the original painting. Because of the many layers of ink applied to the surface, Giclee reproductions appear to be 'painted.' With the Giclee method each piece is printed individually. The text is written in digital calligraphy, as is the personalization if you opt for that, with beautiful results. The lettering styles are selected to complement the artwork. Our high quality Giclee prints utilize Ultrachrome inks to provide archival quality reproductions on water-resistant canvas with stunning detail and luminous color. Pigmented inks may last more than 100 years before noticeable fading occurs.
On what material is the Ketubah printed? Unlike most Ketubah artists which print their Ketubah on paper, our Ketubot are printed on canvas! It has a wonderful texture and displays the colors brilliantly.
What is a limited-edition print? All of our Ketubot are printed in editions limited in quantity to 300. As with other fine art, the fewer the prints in an edition, the greater the value of the art. One of the most important points about our limited editions: if a design is limited to an edition of 300 prints, then upon the sell-out of that edition, only 300 couples will own that design, regardless of which text each couple chose.
What are Esther's techniques? Esther's techniques vary from the use of watercolor and gouache to pen, markers, fiber pens and acrylic. Pen is a medium which was used by some of the great masters centuries ago, such as Rembrandt (1606-69) and is still used by modern artists. In some of the Ketubot she successfully combines some of the techniques of both a painting and a drawing. This combination allows her to produce a striking, bold, bright picture, (strong, colorful design) while using the watercolor and gouache, fluid water-based techniques, to obtain a smooth, articulate flow of the brush drawing. The use of multimedia allows her to combine line with areas of color and tone, combining a loose (brush) and tight (pen) approach in the same work.
What is the Golden Age of the Jews in Spain?
In 409, the Visigoths, who conquered the Romans, did not tolerate the Jews, and persecuted them. That period ended with the Moorish conquest of Spain in 711, which ushered in what came to be known as the Golden Age of the Jews in Spain. The Jews were tolerated under the Moorish government and became very prosperous. The height of this Golden Age was during the 9th - 11th centuries. This was a unique time in Jewish history, because they had the opportunity to develop their society, although they did not run their own government. Free from the oppression of the Visigoths, and accepted into the Arabic government, the Sephardim earned money, built synagogues, and fortified their culture and religion. During the middle centuries of the Moorish rule, the political foundation, constructed during the Moorish conquest, developed into a strong, open society. The Jews were included in this Moorish society of Al-Andalus, and had the opportunity to develop many aspects of their culture. This period began with the Moorish conquest in 711, and finished with the expulsion of the Jews by the Christians in 1492.
What are Sephardi Jews? In the strictest sense, a Sephardi is a Jew original to the Iberian Peninsula or whose ancestors were either among the Jews expelled during the Spanish Inquisition incited by the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella and codified in the Alhambra decree (1492 ), or among the Jews expelled by king Manuel I of Portugal in 1497 and subsequent Portuguese Inquisition . Following those expulsion from Spain and Portugal Sephardim settled mainly in Morocco , the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey, Greece, North Africa and south-eastern Europe), southern France, Spanish North America, (Southwest United States and Mexico), Spanish South America and Portuguese Brazil , as well as the Netherlands (from where a number of families continued onto the former Dutch possessions of Curacao , Suriname and Aruba), England, Germany, Denmark , Austria and Hungary .As a result of the Jewish exodus from Arab lands, many of the Sephardim from the Middle East have relocated to either Israel or France , where they form a significant portion of the Jewish communities today.
What is the Jewish community of Morocco? The Jewish community of Morocco is an ancient one, dating back to the dispersion of the Jews after the Roman destruction of the Second Temple 70 AD. It was reported that entire Berber tribes converted to Judaism. Beginning in the 14th century during the Reconquista, when the Christians reconquered Spain from the Moors the Spanish Jews seized the first opportunity to emigrate to the northern coast of Africa in order to escape the alternate evils of death or the acceptance of Christianity. A hundred years later, when the Jews were finally driven out of Spain (1492) and Portugal (1496), both Jews and converted Jews (conversos or Maranos = secret Jews) suffering from the Inquisition in the reconquered areas, the sudden inroad upon Morocco and the whole of northern Africa was repeated on a very much larger scale. The Jews of Morocco had a great degree of autonomy. Even though they were discriminated against, lived in walled ghettoes and were forbidden from practicing certain professions, they managed to create a rich Sephardi cultural heritage. Before the founding of Israel there were about 300,000 Jews in the country, however, owing to Aliyah to Israel and emigration to France, Canada and other countries, only 7,000 or so remain, mostly in Casablanca.
What are Ashkenazi Jews? Ashkenazi Jews are Jews descended from the Jewish communities of Germany, Poland, Austria, and Eastern Europe mostly established between the 10th and 19th centuries. Ashkenazi Jews developed the Hasidic movement as well as major Jewish academic centers across Poland, Russia, and Lithuania in the generations after emigration from the west. After two centuries of comparative tolerance in the new nations, massive westward emigration occurred in the 1800s and 1900s in response to pogroms and the economic opportunities offered in other parts of the world. Ashkenazi Jews have made up the majority of the American Jewish community since 1750. Ashkenazi cultural growth led to the Haskalah or Jewish Enlightenment, and the development of Zionism in modern Europe.Of the estimated 8.8 million Jews living in Europe at the beginning of World War II, the majority of whom were Ashkenazi, about 6 million were systematically murdered in The Holocaust; 3 million of 3.3 million Polish Jews, and 900,000 in Ukraine, as well as 50-90% of the Jews of Germany, the Baltic and Slavic nations, and France. After the war, many of the surviving Ashkenazi Jews emigrated to countries such as France, the United States, Canada, Australia and Israel. Today, Ashkenazi Jews constitute approximately eighty percent of world Jewry.
What is traditional Jewish design? Traditional Jewish design does not contain figures owing to the prohibition in the Ten Commandments: "Thou shalt not make an image before me." As a result it contained decorative and symbolic elements, including the use of text as part of the design. Traditional symbols were used for decorating synagogues and holy texts: the Ten Commandments, the Jewish Star (Magen David), the Torah, the Menorah, the Sabbath candles, scenes from Israel, astrological signs, Kabbalic signs and the Hamsah. Hebrew lettering was also given a decorative effect to become part of the work of art. Flowers, grape vines, pomegranates, leaves and trees (especially palm trees and cypress trees) were some of the nature symbols used. Pure geometric patterns were also used, some containing animal motifs: a pair of doves (sign of love), peacocks, fish (sign of good luck), rabbits, lions, salamanders and roosters. These symbols date back to ancient times, some to the ancient Holy Temples in Jerusalem.
