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Ketubah Design
Pre-Printed Handwritten Ketubot
Signing the Ketubah
Ketubah Design
A dizzying array of ketubah design choices are available. Ketubah artists abound who can illuminate a marriage certificate to suit individual tastes. Personalized ketubot can be built around Jewish symbols, shared goals, personal loves. One rock climbing couple had an artist write the ketubah surrounded by a ring of mountains. Another ecologically minded couple used a trees silhouette to shape their ketubah text. A UPS executive tucked a tiny sketch of the familiar brown delivery truck into a corner of his ketubah. Still another artist learned Hebrew calligraphy and wrote out the text in white ink over a poster-sized photograph of a dew-drenched rose.
Pre-Printed or Handwritten Ketubot
Using a pre-printed ketubah, that has already been proofread and certified as free of any errors, is a longstanding preferred custom in some communities. Dating back to the 16th century, printed
ketubot have been the preference of some Jewish communities in Holland and Germany.
Ketubot that are handwritten on paper are preferred by some communities in Israel, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Amsterdam, Holland; and London, England.
Some communities in Italy and southern Europe preferred ketubot to be handwritten on parchment.
Who would do the calligraphy was also a matter of custom. Some Sephardim in Amsterdam had theirs written by a scribe. While other London-based Jews selected their synagogues cantor for the honors. In Israel, ketubah-writing was often a privilege and an art handed down from father to son.
Signing the Ketubah
Just before the marriage ceremony begins, the ketubah is traditionally signed by two witnesses. Whoever signs the
ketubah should be at the ceremony to witness the actual ketubah reading.
Number of witnesses is not limited, and if you wish to honor others with signing
your Ketubah, just add lines as indication of where witness are to sign.
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