Tree of Life
English Companion Wording for the Orthodox Ketubah, appears in a visually separate section from the Traditional Aramaic Ketubah text and signatures
We witness that on the ____ day of the month ________ in the year five thousand seven hundred and _______ on the Jewish calendar, corresponding to _______, the ___ day of ______ in the year two thousand and _______ on the secular calendar, the groom, _______ _______ _______, son of _______ and _______, and the bride, _______ _______ _______, daughter of _______ and _______, joined family and friends to celebrate their wedding ceremony in ______. Be my friend and companion and I will work for you, honor, support, and maintain you in accordance with the custom of Jewish families. We will create peace in our home, balancing our values and traditions. We will live together according to our custom, in friendship and in love, always sharing in joy, never abandoning hope or care. We agree to take responsibility for our words and for our actions so that we may live by our values. In all times, we agree to hold on to the spirit of our friendship with respect and caring. If we have children, we agree to raise them with the customs and traditions of Judaism and with the customs of our hearts and to provide for their emotional and physical needs. We take responsibility for this marriage contract and the preservation of our true friendship, the fruit of our individuality, for we know this to be the best and choicest of all our properties beneath the whole heaven anywhere that we now possess or ever may acquire. Our lives together will grow like a Tree of Life, sheltering and sustaining us while continuing to be ever growing. There will be seasons of change, but always we will hold onto the roots of our mutual kindness. In the warmth of summer as well as in the cold of winter, we will know we love and are loved.
It is a Tree of Life to those who hold fast to it. Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace.
Available only at Ketubah-Arts
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350 words in English
Size Recommendations
When added to an Orthodox ketubah, choose a Medium or Large size ketubah -
For couples who do not want to use a translation of their Orthodox ketubah and want a poetic English companion text that will appear in a separate section from their traditional ketubah text.
This text honors Jewish tradition while celebrating universal values of love, partnership, and shared responsibility as a living bond that, like the Tree of Life, continues to grow and give.
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With rabbi approval, couples may change the wording of this text by changing words, deleting anything, using sections from other Ketubah Arts’ texts, or adding original wording.
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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, as you want them to appear
Parents’ names in English
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. Select Orthodox for your Hebrew text and Tree of Life for your English text.
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Yes! See a sample set of proofs.
This product is for the text only — it does not include a formatted ketubah, printed artwork, or any physical product.
Option 1: Leave Blank — $25
Access to our proprietary ketubah texts in Hebrew and English. Mixing and matching is OK. You fill in the text yourself (or have someone else do it). Includes:
Order Summary form to gather all the information needed to complete your ketubah text
Hebrew and English text pages with footnotes for each blank, plus instructions for filling them in
Downloadable RTF files for each language via on-page buttons
Option 2: With Names & Dates — $75
Access to our proprietary ketubah texts in Hebrew and English. Mixing and matching is OK. The text is prepared and ready to be dropped into formatting. Includes:
Order Summary page with your information organized and color-coded for easy proofreading
Hebrew and English text pages professionally filled out with your details, also color-coded for proofreading
Standard text customizations (the same ones included with any ketubah order)
Downloadable RTF files for each language via on-page buttons
⚠ TEXT ONLY — Not a formatted or printed ketubah.
For formatted ketubah texts available in print or digital formats, see DIY Ketubah.
