Buying a ketubah may seem complicated on first glance but it really is a simple and straightforward process. If you follow the recommendations in this buying guide, your biggest decision will be trying to choose from all of the beautiful ketubot we have available.

1. Always start by choosing your text. You may already know which text is right for you. For example, you are orthodox and know you will need an orthodox text or yours is an interfaith marriage so an interfaith text is the right choice. Your Rabbi or officiate may also be important in making this choice so you may wish to consult with them before confirming a text. You do not want to fall in love with a ketubah that does not offer your chosen text. Once you know which text you want, it is easy to search ketubahs by text. This will show you every ketubah we offer with your chosen text. You should also note that virtually any ketubah we offer can have a custom text inserted at extra cost.

2. Next you will need to consider what other priorities are important to you. Price, the kind of image or symbolism you favor, color scheme, etc. Try clicking on our “View All Ketubahs” button and you will be able to quickly scroll through hundreds of images noting the ones that catch your eye. Or you can sort by price and quickly see the ketubot that fall into your price range. These quick sorts will help you quickly narrow down your choices to your favorites.

3. Next you will need to consider Personalization. Personalization is the completion of your ketubah text by the artist or their calligrapher by filling in all of the blanks with your personal information such names, dates and location. We recommend personalization because it completes the ketubah in the exact style of calligraphy that was used to create it ensuring a beautiful and integrated work of art. Alternatively your rabbi or officiate can complete the ketubah for you. We offer an online or fax-in personalization wizard to make personalization easy and fast.

Once you have made your decisions re the 3 steps above, there are a few more things to consider
depending on the ketubah you have chosen.

• Some ketubahs offer options such as size, paper or canvass, gold leafing, etc. These are all shown in easy drop down menus on the specific ketubah page and are easy to select.
• To finish your order simply complete the secure online checkout or call us toll free 1_-888-884-3004 to place your order.
• We will keep you updated on progress and send you tracking information once it has shipped.

If you still have any questions, please call us toll free at 1_-888-884-3004, email us sales@ketubahgallery.com, or use our handy Contact Form

Please note that as of this writing only one of the 7 major Jewish genetic disorders, Gaucher disease, is treatable. All other programs looking for cures or treatments are either University or Government funded or receive grants and sponsorship from charitable foundations. To support ongoing research into the treatment of Neurogenerative Disorders:      please contribute to

How are these diseases inherited?

In the nucleus of every cell in the body there are 46 chromosomes. Each chromosome is a package that holds many genes. Our genes contain DNA, the set of instructions that makes up who we are. All chromosomes (and the genes that are on those chromosomes) come in pairs. We receive one member of each pair of chromosomes from our mother and the other member of the pair from our father. Sometimes there is a change in a gene (called a mutation) that causes the gene to malfunction. All of the above-mentioned conditions are inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. This means that an affected person has a change in both genes of the pair of genes, one change inherited from each parent. Neither gene in the pair is working properly, which causes the symptoms of the disease. A carrier is someone who has a change in only one gene of the pair of genes. Carriers are healthy individuals who are only at risk for passing the gene change on to their children. Most often these diseases occur in families with no prior history of the disease.

What if we’re both carriers?

A person who is a carrier of one of these diseases is only at risk to have an affected child if the person’s partner is also a carrier of the same disease, in which case the couple has a 25% chance, with each pregnancy, of having an affected child. Until very recently, options for these couples were limited to adoption, using donor eggs or sperm, prenatal testing, or not having children together. A recently developed process called Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis, or PGD, can now be used in conjunction with In-Vitro Fertilization to give couples the ability to determine which embryos are healthy before they are implanted in the woman’s womb. PGD has only become widely available within the last year or two, and its development is significant because, for the first time, carrier-carrier couples have the opportunity to have healthy children who are genetically their own without having to face the decision of whether or not to terminate an affected pregnancy.

The success of the first wave of Tay-Sachs screening in the 1970s has lowered the number of births of children with Tay-Sachs disease significantly, leading to the false idea that the disease no longer exists. However, carriers are healthy individuals who simply carry a gene mutation that can be passed on to their children. The disease may not occur often anymore, but the gene remains present and, without screening, a new generation of Tay-Sachs babies will be born.

Dor Yeshorim

Reprinted from: The Chicago Center for Jewish Genetic Disorders

Dor Yeshorim is an international, confidential genetic screening system used mainly by Orthodox Jews, which attempts to prevent the transmission of genetic disorders that have an increased frequency among members of the Ashkenazi Jewish community. The system was established to follow Jewish law, under which abortion is not allowed, while acknowledging that testing might prevent the birth of an affected child. Designed in the early 1980s by an Orthodox rabbi, the system tests young adults before they begin to contemplate marriage. Participants can then use the system to learn their genetic compatibility with potential marital partners.

For interested participants, a simple blood test is all that is necessary to be tested for ten disorders: Tay-Sachs disease, cystic fibrosis, Canavan disease, familial dysautonomia, Fanconi anemia type C, Bloom’s syndrome, Gaucher disease type I, mucolipidosis type IV, glycogen storage disorder type I, and Niemann-Pick disease. Participants are given an identification number but not their actual results. Anonymity is required to avoid unjustified stigmas or embarrassment to the individual or other family members. Participants are responsible for keeping track of their identification number. In the event that the identification number is lost, the results are irretrievable, and the participant would be required to pay for a second blood test.

When partners are introduced or are contemplating engagement, they submit their numbers and birthdates to Dor Yeshorim by telephone. Upon comparison, the match is considered to be compatible as long as both parties are not carriers of the same recessive trait. Each member of the couple may be a carrier for a different disorder, but that information is not revealed as it does not affect their compatibility as a couple. If the couple is not compatible, Dor Yeshorim provides genetic counseling over the phone and referrals for additional genetic counseling in the participants’ area as needed.

If individuals have used this system in the past, Dor Yeshorim can update testing for any of the diseases for which screening is now available, such as familial dysautonomia. If individuals have received testing anywhere other than Dor Yeshorim, or are already engaged or married, they will not be able to use the Dor Yeshorim system.

The program costs about $200, and results typically take between two to three weeks.

For more information about Dor Yeshorim, call their New York office at (718) 384-6060

*The article by Lauren Gross which inspired the above, originally promised free testing in the Philadelphia area at the Victor Center for Jewish Genetic Diseases at Albert Einstein Medical Center however, free testing is now only available on a limited basis. The Kaiserman Ashkenazi Jewish Genetic Disease Screening Program at Albert Einstein Medical does try to ensures that screening is accessible to everyone: screening for seven diseases is offered free to students and to engaged and newlywed couples who qualify for the program, and is often covered by insurance for people who do not fall into those categories. Most Screening programs have genetic counselors available for consultations before and after screening, and the Center provides information, resource materials, and referrals to callers from throughout the country. In addition to their outreach efforts in the local community, the Victor Center’s staff has also worked to put Jewish genetic disease screening on the national agenda, both in the Jewish community and in the medical community. At the 54th annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics, Adele Schneider, MD, FACMG, Einstein’s Director of Clinical Genetics, presented a poster and a peer-reviewed abstract about the success of the Jewish genetic disease screening program. Schneider and her team have also worked with Jewish communities in Omaha and other cities to establish similar programs. While each individual must make their own personal decision on screening, the Jewish community must come together to raise awareness of this issue. Other sources for Jewish Genetic Counselling & Screening Programs across the US, in Canada and in Israel can be found at The MazorGuide to Jewish Genetic Diseases, The Chicago Center for Jewish Genetic Disorders and The Canadian Foundation for Control of Neurodegenerative Disease

The breaking of the glass is a delightful characteristic of Jewish weddings, but the joyous congratulations which accompany the event belie the sombre meaning of the ritual.

The Meaning of Breaking the Glass

The most widespread meaning attached to the glass-smashing ritual is that it symbolises the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70AD. As the Temple functioned as the centre of worship in Judaism, its destruction has been devastating to the Jewish people. By remembering this national sadness during the joyous festivities of a wedding, Jews “set Jerusalem above [their] highest joy” (Psalm 137). This celebration of Jewish identity is seen as auspicious for the new couple, placing the beginning of their married life within the framework of the joys and sorrows of Jews throughout history.

Variations on Smashing the Glass Within Judaism

The glass-smashing ceremony often concludes the wedding service, and the successful smashing is heralded by shouts of “Mazel tov!” and general rejoicing. Within the Ashkenazi Jewish community, the ritual occurs earlier in the ceremony, just before the reading of the ketubah (marriage contract).

In Maurice Lamm’s article ‘The Breaking of the Glass’ on the site Chabad.org, Lamm notes that Jewish opinion is divided on whether the glass to be smashed ought to be the nuptial cup, the betrothal cup or simply a ‘prop’ glass. Nowadays an old light bulb is sometimes used instead inside the cloth, as it is easier to smash. Traditionally the groom (chatan) is the one who breaks the glass; in more modern circles, the bride (kallah) may participate.

Some Jews accompany the smashing of the glass by reciting from Psalm 137: “If I forget Thee, O Jerusalem, may my right hand fail at the height of my joy.”

Alternative Meanings for the Glass-Smashing Ceremony

Several different meanings have been devised for the ceremony. One interpretation is that the fragility of the glass symbolises the fragility of trust, commitment and love that make up a marriage; the implication being that couples must be careful not to ‘smash’ those qualities. Another view is that the breaking of the glass is a break with the past: the marriage is to last as long as the glass remains broken, ie. forever. Breaking the glass may also be a reminder to the wedding guests not to get drunk and forget themselves at the wedding reception. Jewish men may also joke at the wedding that this is the last time the groom gets to ‘put his foot down’!

Breaking the Glass in Mixed-Faith Unions

Generally speaking, a Jew who marries a non-Jew must forsake some of the traditions of a Jewish wedding. Among these is the ceremony of smashing the glass. Some mixed-faith weddings adopt a different ritual such as a unity candle or sand-pouring ritual to end the service on a similarly high note, although the meaning of these rituals is not identical to the glass-smashing ritual.

There are various interpretations of why we do this and where the breaking glass Jewish wedding tradition came from.
Here are a few of the most popular explanations:

• Temple: Breaking of the Jewish wedding glass is a reminder of the destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem.
• Superstitious: A loud noise is thought to drive away evil spirits.
• Sadness/Joy: A reminder that even in times of great joy that there is sadness. That life will bring sadness as well as joy.
• Fragile: The glass symbolizes the love and relationship of the couple and is fragile, so it must be cared for and not broken.
• Broken World: A reminder that although the couple came together as a single union, the world as a whole is broken and needs mending.
• Marriage is Forever: A broken Jewish wedding glass is forever changed, likewise, the couple are forever changed by the marriage and take on a new form.
• Be Fruitful: A hope that your happiness will be as plentiful as the shards of glass…or that your children will be as plentiful as the shards of glass.

Choose the interpretation of the breaking glass Jewish wedding tradition that resonates with you and it will make that part of your ceremony more meaningful. Many couples like to include a brief explanation in their Jewish wedding program that describes what this act means to them.

Do It Yourself Jewish Wedding Glass Ideas

Any glass may be used for the Jewish wedding glass, although most couples choose a special glass to be broken and kept. It is commonly wrapped in a cloth napkin (to avoid dangerous glass shards) or enclosed in a pre-made cloth pouch. A “do it yourself” option is to purchase a single colored glass goblet to be used in the breaking glass Jewish wedding tradition. Look for a unique glass at a vintage or used thrift store. If you are planning on keeping the glass shards from the breaking glass consider colored glass instead of clear, especially if you plan to do a craft project with them later. Make certain the glass you choose is not too thick. It needs to be easily broken when stepped on! For this reason, stay away from heavy lead crystal goblets.

The Ketubah is a significant part of a Jewish wedding ceremony. It serves as the official marriage contract and must be signed by both the bride and the groom. Ketubah is the necessary document that will give the woman her legal rights and privileges in matters involving property. The contract is enforced the moment the husband is no longer present for reasons such as death, abandonment, or divorce. Ketubah is the only Jewish marriage contract that is recognized as lawful in the State of Israel in cases of Jewish divorce. If either partner fails to meet the terms and conditions stated in the contract they can be taken to a civil court and are held fully responsible to meet their obligations.

 
A Brief History of Ketubah

In ancient times rabbis insisted on two people marrying, to enter into ketubah, a special marriage agreement, as a form of protection to the wife. The ketubah was to be used as a replacement to the biblical dower or bride price, which is payable at the time of marriage by the groom to the bride or her parents. The ketubah indicates that the amount, which is supposedly due to the bride during the wedding, becomes payable in the event of the death of her husband or if they should divorce. Rabbis have discerned that the biblical bride’s dowry could create a major financial problem to young men seeking marriage. Many would be unable to marry because they have no means to raise the biblical bride price as ordered by the law. And so to facilitate the marriage of these young men, the rabbis delayed the time when the amount was to be payable. They adjusted it to a time when a man is more likely to have such a sum. This concept has been made a part of the ketubah. The only difference between the two systems (dowry vs. ketubah) is the time when the amount is to be paid. Ketubah is the predecessor to the wife’s present-day entitlement to protection in the event of the breakup of her marriage. The amount stated in the Ketubah can also serve as a deterent to husbands to keep them from divorcing their wife because, if the husband does seek a divorce, he would have to pay the amount contracted in the ketubah to his wife.

Translation of the Traditional Aramaic Orthodox Text

On the __________ day of the week, the __________ day of the month of __________, in the year five thousand seven hundred __________, as we reckon time here in ________________, the groom ____________ son of _____________ said to the bride_______________ daughter of _____________, "Be my wife according to the statutes of Moses and Israel.  And I will work for, esteem, feed and support you as is the custom of Jewish men who work for, esteem, feed and support their wives faithfully.  And I will give you ________________ and I will provide you food and clothing and necessities and your conjugal rights according to accepted custom."  And the bride ________________ agreed to become his wife.  And this dowry that she brought from her _____________ house, whether in silver, gold, jewelry, clothing, furnishings or bedding, the groom ______________ accepted responsibility for all in the sum of _____________ zuzim, and agreed to add to this amount from his own assets the sum of ______________ zuzim, for a total of _______________ zuzim.  The groom ____________ said:  "The obligation of this ketubah, this dowry and this additional sum, I accept upon myself and my heirs after me, to be paid from all the best part of all my property that I now possess or may hereafter acquire, real and personal.  From this day forward, all my property, even the shirt on my back, shall be mortgaged and liened for the payment of this ketubah, dowry and additional sum, whether during my lifetime or thereafter."  The obligation of this ketubah, this dowry and this additional sum, was accepted by ______________ the groom with the strictness established for ketubot and additional sums customary for the daughters of Israel, in accordance with the decrees by our sages, of blessed memory.  This ketubah is not to be regarded as a formality or as a perfunctory legal form.  We have established the acceptance on the part of  ______________ son of ______________ the groom to _______________ daughter of _______________ the bride, of this contract, all of which is stated and specified above, with an article fit for that purpose.  And all shall be valid and binding.

___________________________________________ Witness

___________________________________________ Witness

The Conservative ketubah text is identical to the Traditional Aramaic text, with the addition of the Lieberman Clause.

The Lieberman clause¹ is a clause included in a ketubah, a Jewish wedding document, created by and named after Talmudic scholar and Jewish Theological Seminary of America² professor Saul Lieberman³, that stipulates that divorce⁴ will be adjudicated by a modern Bet Din⁵ (rabbinic court) in order to prevent the problem of the agunah⁶, a woman not allowed to remarry because she had never been granted a religious divorce. It was first introduced in the 1950s by rabbis in Judaism’s Conservative movement.

The following is a translation of the Lieberman Clause from the original Aramaic:

“And both together agreed that if this marriage shall ever be dissolved under civil law, then either husband or wife may invoke the authority of the Beth Din of the Rabbinical Assembly and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America or its duly authorized representatives, to decide what action by either spouse is then appropriate under Jewish matrimonial law; and if either spouse shall fail to honor the demand of the other or to carry out the decision of the Beth Din or its representative, then the other spouse may invoke any and all remedies available in civil law and equity to enforce compliance with the Beth Din’s decision and this solemn obligation.”

References:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieberman_clause
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Theological_Seminary_of_America
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Lieberman
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divorce
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bet_Din
6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agunah