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Proofread your form for accuracy before submitting it. However, you shouldn’t feel intimidated because we’re here to provide assistance. We understand that you may sometimes have to look up names and other details and, when that is the case, we can offer advice on where to search. Your family’s Jewish names are held in this document as a record to be used by future generations so we are committed to gathering correct information.
Prior to ketubah completion by the artist, we will always confirm the information.
Date:
We can look up the Hebrew date for you. We need to know if your ceremony will take place before or after sundown because a new day in Hebrew begins at sundown of the previous day. For instance, the first day of the week begins Saturday night after sundown. You should find out from your rabbi how your day will be calculated if your wedding is to take place at dusk.
You should also ask your rabbi whether your day should be noted as the last day of the week (Shabbat) or the first day of the week if your wedding falls on a Saturday evening before sundown.
Place:
The city and the state of the wedding is included in the text. If you haven’t provided a Hebrew spelling, we will transliterate it from English, though this is subjective. You can ask your rabbi about any spelling preference for the location. (The name of the hall or synagogue is not needed).
Names:
Most commonly, you’ll have your first, middle, and last names in the section written in English. Since the ketubah is a document, legal given names are usually used. A previously married bride may provide her maiden name or, alternatively, the name she is entering the marriage with. When filling in the form you should write the names the way you would like them to appear. Titles (such as Dr.) are generally not included.
The majority of artists will use the names of the parents in the English section, but some do not. You should provide the first names of your parents so we will have them if needed.
Jewish tradition identifies you as: “_______ the son or daughter of _______ and _______.” Thus, we request you to provide your own Hebrew names as well as your parents’ Hebrew names. When looking for the names, a good way to start is by asking your parents. You can ask them whether they have their ketubah where their names will likely appear. Your name might be on a naming or circumcision certificate. When you send any of these documents to us, we can help in the quest. You can also ask grandparents, uncles, aunts, siblings and synagogues.
We feel that there should be accurate documentation of the Hebrew names so that it’s easy for any person to reference your Jewish marriage contract when looking for your Jewish names.
If you don’t know how to write your names in Hebrew, you can write them in English and we will change them to Hebrew. Your name may be uncommon or it may have a unique spelling, particularly Yiddish names, so we always check with you first. If you feel it’s better for you to give us the Hebrew spelling, simply use the online form to spell out the letters (alef, bet, gimmel, and so on). Alternatively, you can use the printable version and email or fax it to us. (You cannot write in Hebrew characters on the online form - it will not come to us in a usable format.)
As for partners or parents without Hebrew names, we use Hebrew letters to write their English names.
Last names are generally not written in the Hebrew text so please let us know if your rabbi requires it. In this case, you should provide any unique spelling of your last name in Hebrew.
The Orthodox tradition is to only use the fathers’ names on the ketubah. If your ceremony is going to be an Orthodox one and you’d like your mothers’ names to be included on the ketubah, consult with your rabbi first. To keep things simple, your mothers’ Hebrew names shouldn’t be provided on the form if they are not going to be used. (Mothers’ names are used in other places in Orthodox tradition, just in case you were wondering.) Both parents’ names are used in all other text.
Brides' Status:
This set of inquiries applies only to the Orthodox and Conservative Lieberman texts. There are variations on the way the text is filled in depending on the answers to these questions.
Signatures:
Typically, at the bottom of the Ketubah text, there are five signature lines: the bride, the groom (or ‘beloveds’ on a same gender marriage text), the two witnesses, and the rabbi or officiant. Many ketubot can have customized signature lines so definitely ask us about any special requests.
For the Conservative or Orthodox Aramaic texts, two witnesses are required to sign below the Aramaic. Any vows made in English must go under these signatures. According to some rabbis, these witness signatures must be placed one above the other. The majority of Aramaic texts without English have this kind of setup. However, for Aramaic text that includes English, the witness signatures may sometimes be put side by side. Again, you must confirm this requirement with your rabbi.
