Guide
What Is a Ketubah?
The Jewish marriage document, what it means, and why it has become one of the world's most beautiful traditions.
A ketubah is the Jewish marriage document, one of the oldest continuously used legal texts in the world. At its heart, it records a couple's marriage and the commitments they make to one another. For two thousand years it has been read aloud at Jewish weddings, and for much of that time it has also been a canvas for extraordinary art.
A little history
The ketubah dates back over two millennia. Its original purpose was protective: in an era when marriage was a one-sided legal act, the ketubah guaranteed a wife financial security, rights within the marriage, and support should it end. That protective spirit endures, even as many modern couples reinterpret the document as a mutual covenant of love.
What the text says
Traditionally the ketubah is written in Aramaic and sets out the date, the place, the couple's names, and the husband's obligations, together with the ketubah sum. Today the wording varies enormously by tradition, from the classical Orthodox text to fully egalitarian and interfaith covenants. Our ketubah texts section walks through each one, and our text generator helps you draft a sample.
From document to art
Because the ketubah is displayed and read publicly, communities began decorating it, and a rich art tradition grew up around it: the illuminated ketubot of Renaissance Italy, the papercuts of Eastern Europe, the gold-leafed Jerusalem scenes of the Sephardi world. Today couples commission ketubot in every style imaginable, from minimalist line art to lush watercolor. Browse the gallery to see the range.
Do you need one?
For a traditional Jewish wedding, yes: the ketubah is a required part of the ceremony. But couples of every background, including interfaith and secular couples, choose to create one for its beauty and meaning. However you approach it, the ketubah is a chance to put your commitment into words and art you will live with for the rest of your lives.
Common questions
What is a ketubah in simple terms?
It is the Jewish marriage document. It records the couple's marriage and the promises they make to each other, and it is traditionally read aloud during the wedding and displayed afterward as art.
What language is a ketubah written in?
Traditional ketubot are written in Aramaic. Modern versions are often bilingual, in Hebrew and English or another language, and egalitarian and interfaith texts vary widely.
Is a ketubah legally binding?
In Orthodox practice it is a binding document under Jewish law. Reform, interfaith and secular ketubot are usually covenants of love and intention rather than enforceable legal contracts.
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