THE KETUBAH – the marriage contract – was introduced into the Jewish wedding ceremony approximately 2,500 years ago. It was written in Aramaic, the spoken language of the Jews of the time, so that everyone would understand the contract. To this day Aramaic has remained the language of the traditional Ketubah . In the contract, the husband undertakes to honor, support and maintain his wife, and to live with her in affection and amity. He also states what she will receive in the event of divorce or of his death. The ketubah was developed to protect the Jewish wife and to ensure her future.
Although the traditional text has undergone little change through the centuries, couples today often prefer that the text portray their own spirituality. Mickie’s ketubot are available with a variety of texts from the traditional to the modern, to allow you to choose both a design and a text that best reflects your ideas and beliefs.
The ketubah document has attracted artistic adornment through the centuries and has become a significant expression of Jewish art. With the use of calligraphy to ornament the text itself and a vast host of designs to enhance and beautify the border, the ketubah has evolved into a unique document expressing a couple’s life together.