To better serve those looking for a traditional Orthodox ketubah, I’ve created a new section of the site just for traditional Orthodox ketubot. I’ve always offered these options, but now they’re gathered in one place so you can browse designs and see the halachic details more easily without worrying that you will select something unsuitable.
More designs from the main catalog that are suitable for traditional ketubot will be added in the coming weeks, so if there’s a design you want from the main catalog that is not showing up yet, feel free to ask when it will be available.
Orthodox Ketubah Text
This is the standard RCA Orthodox Aramaic ketubah text used in halachically observant weddings. It follows the format accepted by most rabbis and is carefully prepared using the customary wording with your names, wedding date, and location. It includes any changes for specific customs or instructions from your rabbi to make sure you have what is needed.
For Sephardic preparations, using the prepared text from your rabbi with the specific ketubah agreements is recommended. (Custom texts are always allowed and there is no fee).
Trusted by Rabbis. Loved by Couples.
English Translation
The Traditional Orthodox Aramaic Ketubah is often Aramaic only, but in some cases, a translation or another English text may be added to a separate section from the traditional text and witness signatures. This is a Ketubah-Arts translation, but others may be used if preferred. See below for suggested options accompanying texts that aren’t translations.
On the ___ day of the week, the ___ day of the month _____ in the year five thousand seven hundred and _____-_____ according to the Jewish calendar here in _______, ______, the groom, _______, son of _____, said to the bride, _____, daughter of _____, “Be my wife according to the laws and traditions of Moses and Israel and I will cherish, honor, support, and maintain you as is the way of Jewish husbands who cherish, honor, support, and maintain their wives faithfully. I present you with the marriage gift proper to Jewish brides, one/two hundred silver zuzim, which belongs to you according to the laws of Moses and Israel. I will also give you food, clothing, and necessities and live faithfully with you as your husband.” And ____, the bride, accepted and became his wife. The trousseau that she brought with her in silver, gold, valuables, clothing, furniture, and bedclothes all this ____, the groom, accepted in the sum of fifty/one hundred silver zuzim, and ____, the groom, consented to increase this amount from his own property with an additional fifty/one hundred silver zuzim, making in all one/two hundred silver zuzim. ____ the groom, said, “The responsibility for this ketubah, the trousseau and the additional sum, I take upon myself and my heirs after me so that it shall be paid from the best part of my property and all possessions that I have beneath the whole heaven which I now possess or may ever acquire. All my property, even the shirt from my back, shall be mortgaged to secure the payment of this ketubah, the trousseau and the addition made to it, during my lifetime and after my death from the present day until forever.” _____, the groom, has taken upon himself the responsibility for this ketubah, the trousseau and the addition made to it, according to the restrictive usages of all ketubot and the addition to them made for Jewish women according to the wisdom of our sages of blessed memory. This ketubah is not to be regarded as a mere formula or a document without meaning. We have followed the legal formality of symbolic delivery, the kinyan, between ____, son of ____, the groom, and ____, the daughter of ____, this bride, and everything written in this contract is valid and binding.
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280 words in Aramaic
translation is 480 words in EnglishLanguage Options:
Aramaic & English
Aramaic Only
Size Recommendations
Hebrew & English: Medium or Large
Hebrew Only or English Only: Small -
Jewish couples who want a traditional ketubah and couples who are getting married by an Orthodox rabbi.
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The Aramaic wording has some traditional variations and those may be used at the direction of a rabbi.
If English is permitted by the couple’s rabbi, it may be customized to suit the couple.
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Two Witnesses who are adult Jewish men regarded as religiously observant must sign immediately after the Aramaic ketubah text.
The groom sometimes signs on an additional line after the witnesses.
Bride & Groom and Officiant may sign following the English text but have no implications for the validity of the ketubah text.
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Wedding Details
Secular wedding date and time
City & State (and country, if outside the USA) of wedding location
Names for the Couple
Full names for the couple in English, if using, as you want them to appear
Hebrew names (see What is a Hebrew Name?) Name ben/bat Father’s Name
Bride’s status (never previously married, divorced, widowed, a convert, or other)
Parents’ names in English, if using an English text
First & Last Names for parents in English, if including them
How do I give you my information?
A Ketubah Text Order Form will pop up when you add a ketubah to your shopping cart.
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Yes! See a sample set of proofs.
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Yes. I follow specific instructions to ensure that couples have a ketubah that is right for their community’s traditions.
Please let me know on the special instructions section of the text selection form.
Meeting with your rabbi to find out what their requirements are before you order a ketubah will save a lot of time. It will allow you to find out what traditions should be incorporated into your ketubah, and get correct spellings for your Hebrew names and the wedding location.
By default, the standard format for all Orthodox ketubot is full-justified, the witnesses’ signatures appear immediately following the Aramaic text, and the stem is removed from the ק in the word, וקנינא. When a ketubah on this website is shown with both Hebrew or Aramaic and English, but only Aramaic is preferred, an Aramaic Only option is available. (Some ketubot look better with both languages, but the single language is still available).
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If your rabbi prefers to prepare your text himself and have me use that text, there is no additional charge. This is included in the standard price. You can send it via email after you place your order.
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This text is open to all Jews regardless of observance levels. (Progressive and Secular Jews can use this traditional text).
It is called an Orthodox text because it is required for Orthodox Jewish marriages, but it is also a tradition for Jewish people going back millennia.
Suggested Accompanying English (if not using a translation)
These are offered as optional English companions to the traditional Orthodox Aramaic ketubah. In the ketubah, they appear in a visually separate section from the traditional text and signatures. They are not translations, but personal or poetic reflections. Many couples in Modern Orthodox communities include an English text for artistic or emotional reasons, but we recommend confirming your choice with your rabbi to ensure it aligns with your community’s halachic expectations. These texts may be altered to better suit your needs.
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Just The Facts
This text focuses on the basics: who, when, where, and what. It is a nice addition to a traditional text for those who do not want a full translation but want to see their secular wedding date and names in English.
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![sun shines through tree trunks across a meadow]()
Dwelling of Peace
For couples who want to affirm their intention to live with Torah and Jewish values at the center of their lives.
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Hope
Devotion to a shared journey of love and Tikkun Olam define this ketubah text. The commitment described here is based on a vision of the future filled with companionship and hope.
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Tree of Life
A poetic text centered around Jewish values, these words are the foundation for a Jewish home centered on love, respect, and caring. “Our lives together will grow like a Tree of Life, sheltering and sustaining us and ever growing.”
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Joy
“With gratitude for the love that has brought us together, we enter into this covenant of marriage, surrounded by the blessings of our loved ones and the hope for a future filled with shared adventures, support, and endless laughter.” Equal parts solemn and joyful, this text is perfect for couples who love to laugh together.
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Bliss
Discovery and joy are threaded through this romantic text. the promises made are universal and passionate, courageous and tender. “We have found enclosed in each other’s hearts a world of bliss.”
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![a night sky full of stars with the milky way reflects in dark lake]()
Stars
“Standing under the chuppah, we celebrate a feeling as old as the stars in the heavens and as sweet and new as a clear morning’s dawn…”
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![grass rich with ripe grain in silhouette against a field]()
Dream
“Together we dreamed of a future life. Our love thrived upon that dream and nurtured our hearts, so that we can’t imagine a future without seeing each other in it.”
A traditional ketubah and timeless art - authentically Jewish and authentically artistic without compromising either side of the equation
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A traditional ketubah and timeless art - authentically Jewish and authentically artistic without compromising either side of the equation -
