In the past we’ve pointed out the challenges of how to say the plural of Ketubah, but never to stop and ask ourselves: Does this have an actual meaning itself?  Could it stand alone without the cultural and traditional relationship with weddings?

All Hebrew words are centered around a cluster of three letters which serve as a ‘root’ of meaning.  Different surrounding letters and vowel sounds compliment the root to signify different meanings based on the same idea.  To give an idea of this effect in English, consider the words for beard, stubble, goatee, and clean shaven.  They all revolve around the same idea, and therefore would have the same ‘root’: facial hair.

The root of the word Ketubah—Kaf-Taf-Bet—means “writing.” For me, this rings true to one of my dad’s favorite phrases from Jewish text. “And so it written!” he would proudly declare  after pretty much anything he thought deserved authority.

The idea of the Ketubah as ‘writing’ speaks to its traditional purpose: put down on paper the obligations of husband and wife before marriage became a purely civil affair. Over time, the Ketubah has changed in purpose from something solely about traditional contractual obligations to expressions of affection, love and emotional commitment among a couple dedicated to each other.

Yet even with these changes—including to express the love of interfaith couples just as much as same-sex couples—stay true to the original meaning of the Kaf-Taf-Bet root.  They serve as physical writing of what individuals feel in their hearts.  For this reason many progressive Ketubot include a couple’s wedding vows—the ultimate record of emotion and commitment.

This Is Not a Ketubah is all about providing awesome, colorful backdrops to whatever writings a couple may choose to include inside our beautiful frames. We strive to make our art match the beauty of whichever text our couples choose—and that matches their custom tastes!

Thanks to our friends at the Jewish Virtual Library for their Ketubah insights.

Jacob

Team Ketubah

A Ketubah, by definition, marks the beginning of a marriage.

Is there a way to mark the midway point of a marriage?

The traditional method is through the anniversary ketubah.

The anniversary Ketubah is a tradition, begun fairly recently (around the ’70s), that helps Jewish couples “renew their vows” in a way that is stronger and more compelling than just having a big 25th or 50th bash.

The anniversary Ketubah is broadly the same as a standard, non-anniversary ketubah. But there are a few notable differences:

First, the wording should be adjusted slightly to account for the renewal. Certain provisions might be less relevant, such as the dowry.

Secondly, the art of an anniversary Ketubah is often more formal and elegant than that of a standard Ketubah, in our experience. When a couple first gets married, full of newfound energy, they either don’t pay much attention to the Ketubah or tend to look for something reflecting the new excitement, this is an opportunity to choose something that really make you happy.

The anniversary Ketubah, on the other hand, we’ve found is often going to be a Work of Art hanging in the living. This, then is a different aesthetic look and feel than a Ketubah to be hidden away. Of course it needs to be high quality and just awesome — everyone wants something cool and fun, and often we want something modern and contemporary, too, even if we are a traditional couple — and that doesn’t really change.

The Ketubah, after all, should capture and memorialize a couple’s love under the Jewish tradition. At the end of the day, this is what counts the most.

Of we course can!  First, lets take a step back:

As the Jewish people grow and modernize, so too have our traditions.  Each Ketubah that our team of Jewish-Argentine artists creates here at This Is Not a Ketubah is based on blending tradition and modernity.  We are excited to offer a variety of texts alongside the awesome artwork we add to the site regularly.  While many couples still prefer traditional Orthodox texts, many choose to incorporate a newer tradition, the Lieberman Clause.

Many Conservative Rabbis encourage couples to include an additional passage of Hebrew in their Ketubah as a more egalitarian version of the traditional Orthodox version.  Created in 1953 at a conference of the Rabbinical Assembly and Jewish Theological Seminary, this new section—at the suggestion of Professor Saul Lieberman—address the situation of women in the Ketubah.

Traditionally, women seeking a divorce must be first granted one by their husband; if not, she is an ‘aganah’ or ‘anchored woman’ unable to be married again. Of course, an incredible amount has changed since the first Ketubah was written thousands of years ago, leaving many to wonder if the Jewish people should old on to this concept.  At This Is Not a Ketubah, we fully support whatever couples decide, always delivering high quality, pretty, personalized Ketubot.

With even more rapid changes in recent memory, the rabbinical establishment has offered new interpretations on rabbinic text to overcome the problem of an aganah.  Couples observing a more egalitarian Judaism would appreciate Professor Lieberman’s solution to a woman bound by ‘aganah’— she may appeal to the Bet Din or traditional Jewish court of the Conservative movement in New York, who can require the husband to grant a divorce.

This Is Not a Ketubah is committed to providing couples with modern Ketubot not just in colorful, cool, original designs, but also offering a Jewish legal contract they can be comfortable with to match our times.  We’d rather not think about the end of the relationship when its just about to become official, but with reason many young fiancées want to make sure everything is 100% kosher, and we’re happy to oblige!

All of our Ketubahs can accommodate the additional text of the Lieberman Clause, or any other text a couple wishes.  We want to make your dream Ketubah come to life, from design to everything in between.  We look forward to it!

Many thanks to the great folks at RitualWell for their great explanation!

Jacob

Team Ketubah

A Ketubah is, of its most fundamental nature, a beautiful object: what is more powerful than two souls, before the world, their tradition, and their law, choosing to join into one forever?

There are, however, a few ways in which we can make this beauty even more beautiful.

One element is by following the Mitzvah of Hiddur Mitzvah, and artistically designing the Ketubah to be an amazing and even luxurious piece of art. We are commanded in Hiddur Mitzvah to make our Jewish ceremonial art as magnificent as we reasonably can (without going overboard!) and the Ketubah is a great opportunity to do so. In an era when it is so easy to hire cheap artists, and there are also really cheap but very pretty and elegant Ketubot being sold everywhere, there is no reason (budgetary nor otherwise) not get a beautiful Ketubah. Beautiful does not necessarily mean expensive!

Another element is the act of signing the Ketubah. Lets start with the easiest: on the superficial level, we need to make sure we use a great pen, one that doesn’t smudge! Smudging is such an issue, that some couples order two copies of a Ketubah, so that they have an extra one, in case the first one gets smudged while signing!

But more subtly, we need to make sure we savor and enjoy every moment of actually signing it. You’ll be nervous so it will be hard to calm down. The most powerful way to make something beautiful is to enjoy it, to enjoy it every moment.

These various approaches, taken together, will create a beautiful Ketubah — and an even more beautiful, even prettier, Ketubah-signing experience.

Couples often ask us for recommendations of what artistic style works well for a Ketubah. When you choose your Ketubah artist, or just the art in general if you don’t think much about the artist, then what style to go for?

The answer, in short, is: Any you like! The Ketubah should not only reflect our ancient traditions, but also it should also reflect the personalities of the couple themselves! It is the artist’s job to bring out the couple’s personality in the Ketubah.

Some people prefer expensive, luxury Ketubot — one potential client even wanted a “Cartier Ketubah”! We usually think about these as “elegant” Ketubot, and classiness is fun: we love dressing up in suits!

Some prefer the hip-hipster (what is the difference anyway?) groovy Ketubah style. Although my parents would say “groovy”; I’m more likely to say “cool” and my little cousins, “awesome.”

Some prefer artistic styles based on their favorite artists or styles — Andy Warhol’s Pop Art to Monet’s Impressionism to Modrian’s cubes.

Some prefer retro styles going back to different decades in American history: the 1950s rock-n-roll Grease style or the 1970s disco style.

Some couples just want a colorful, bright, beautiful and bold Ketubah! For young, fun couples — they often want to reflect the spirit of fun in their Ketubot, too.

A few people call us up wanting a Ketubah based on an ethnic style, like a Japanese or Chinese style Ketubah.

A couple of people want to include photos in their Ketubah — but not too many.

A few want one that is very romantic — and those are very sweet, but less common. After all, it is usually the girl who buys it!

Above all, a common theme we see are for modern and contemporary Ketubot — as well as ones that are unique, different, and personalized. What both of these have in common is just sheer, creativity.

What more could you ask from a Ketubah? Have any ideas? Let us know!

One of the great things about sharing our site with friends, family, and the Jewish professionals is that we constantly get new ideas and information on how we can make the site better.

This week we spoke to several people active in Union for Reform Judaism who reported that is wasn’t clear why weren’t offering more progressive Ketubot, beyond the standard “Orthodox Ashkenazi” text.  The answer is that of course we are!

From the start This is Not a Ketubah has been about modernizing ancient traditions—artistically and religiously. We’re about more than just fun, awesome, colorful Ketubot. A Ketubah collective in today’s world should mean providing couples in love with a document that affirms their spirituality and signifies their commitment to one another.  We are proud to offer any couple seeking to sign this ancient idea of companionship and union to any who seek it.

Even though we’ve always held on to this idea in our hearts, it somehow didn’t make its way into text onto our webpage.  To hear that This Is Not a Ketubah didn’t look appealing to “non-traditional” Jewish couples gave us a real call to action. Over the coming weeks we’ll be working to make sure couples of all types — Egalitarian, Feminist, Interfaith & Gay — find our site as beautiful and welcoming as ever.

We value the deeply personal religious perspectives of all couples seeking to be married—for some, that means signing the same Ketubah text their parents did.  For others, we empower them to continue living the Jewish life they wish to.

We’re excited to embark on this project so the words on the site match the ruach in our hearts! Keep an eye on changes throughout the site as well as thoughts and discussions on this blog.

Shabbat has always been a time for reflection—a time for rest after a hectic week of running around in the daily grind to think quietly in peace.  We’ll be keeping this in mind as sundown approaches, and we look forward to resuming our work after Havdalah.

Shabbat Shalom,

Jacob

Team Ketubah

The This Is Not a Ketubah team is always thinking about the next great colorful work of art we’ll create.  This week we sat down to think about how we could design some new Ketubot to give couples even more awesome options.

One of our team members, Brad, had a great idea: We love the Jewish tradition of the Ketubah and the way it ties us to our parents and our grandparents.  We love modern art and the way it speaks to constant innovation, new use of colorful ideas, and the cutting edge of culture.

Then, we thought about the Ketubot our parents have hanging on their walls—as a Jewish artistic collective, we had a lot of material to work with! The themes that came to mind were beautiful examples depicting nature.  From trees to oceans, birds to flowers, mountains to designs of fields, the simple marvels of the world were prominently designed.

Of course we saw these themes as perfect for a modern spin.  How would Klimt or Picasso or Gaudí draw nature?  Luckily, we don’t have to guess! Every important artist of the last century has called on the countryside or examples of animals and plants in their work.

In the process of thinking of new Ketubot, we discovered what most high-art aficionados have known forever—nature makes great art, and therefore great Ketubot!

To this end, we dedicated our energies to creating depictions of nature in the style of one of our favorite modern artists, rich with color, creativity, and joy.  Our newest Kilmt-ish Ketubah captures these feelings with a stunningly bright tone and rich emotion.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be exploring the themes of nature in This Is Not a Ketubah’s designs, crafting Ketubot that continue to speak to tradition and progress: age-old practice with modern sensibility. Keep and eye out, and be sure to send us any idea you think would make a gorgeous Ketubah—we want to make your dream Ketubah real!

Jacob

Team Ketubah

If you’re from New York City or Los Angeles, you’ve definitely heard of the “Destination Wedding.” Couples looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city pack up their family and friends and head for the sun south of the border, or a beautiful European countryside.

While destinations weddings might be quiet in comparison to the city, they can be full of colorful countrysides and awesome backdrops.  Here at This Is Not A Ketubah we are all in favor of beautiful getaways and the pursuit of the unusual, unconventional, and stunningly creative.  Whenever possible, we vote for the most modern possible!

Of course, getting all of your family, loved ones, and friends out to your tropical island isn’t exactly cheap.  Even so, fans of destination weddings can’t stop talking about how awesome their experience was or how beautiful their wedding on the beach was.

At a Team Ketubah meeting yesterday we asked ourselves—If couples are going to go to incredible places to celebrate their weddings, why not commemorate the trip with a beautifully designed, custom Ketubot?  Could we make a series of Ketubot dedicated to the exotic travels of our clients?

Of course! But why stop there?  Many couples begin planning their honeymoon months in advance.  Why not capture the beautiful European cityscapes or rich mountains of their travels in beautiful art, and proudly display it in their homes?

Here at This Is Not A Ketubah we as a collective pride ourselves on the creativity and excitement we have for working with each couple to design modern art Ketubot inspired by the colorful imaginations of the fiancés we work with.

So why not commemorate your dream honeymoon into your Ketubah, and keep it in your living room forever? We say, do it–no sunscreen needed!

Jacob

Team Ketubah

Every day at This Is Not A Ketubah we are constantly updating the site to make it more usable, interesting, and accentuate the beautiful modern Ketubot we’ve created. This week, we’re excited to share that the site is compatible with an even wider range of browsers, including Internet Explorer in addition to Mozilla FireFox and Google Chrome.

This means that no matter how you choose to visit the site, you’ll be able to see each and every incredible customized design our collective has created, functioning beautifully. Our phenomenal Ketubot are now just as awesome on one browser as on another.

Our artsy style is stands out as bold, exciting, and exceedingly gorgeous. Some of our styles include the symbolic inspiration of our Miro-ish Ketubot to the uber-Advant Garde design inspired by Kazmir Malevich.

The This Is Not A Ketubah isn’t just compatible with different browsers; we’re compatible with you! Our team is eager to work with couples of all types and backgrounds—from Jewish to Interfaith, Asian to European, or even the Christian couple who see the traditional beauty and value in the age-old custom.

No matter you’re background, we are excited to offer the fruit of our Ketubah labors—enchanting Ketubot chosen from our beautiful gallery, or going the extra mile to make a dream DIY (Do It Yourself) Ketubah to life. Nothing is more pleasing to Team Ketubah than making custom Ketubahs based on personal brain-storming sessions with enthusiastic young couples.

Happily, This Is Not A Ketubah is also proud to say that regardless of your internet browser, we are still able to show you just how awesome and incredible a Ketubah can really be.

So go ahead, click around.We can’t wait to make you a jaw-dropping customized Ketubah you and your spouse will love forever.

Shabbat Shalom!

Jacob
Team Ketubah

Signing and displaying a newly married couple’s Ketubah is just one of many great traditions of a Jewish wedding—just ask anyone who’s been before!

Another trademark of the ceremony is the breaking of the glass.  As the final step (literally!) of the wedding under the Chuppah, the groom seals the deal by breaking the glass. Be sure to check out the great explanation of a full traditional ceremony by great folks of Jewish Wedding Info.

We love it when cultural tradition creeps into daily life.  During a trip to Israel I was thrilled to hear a whole restaurant shout “L’Chaim!” when a waiter dropped a plate making the loud crashing sound typical of a glass breaking.

Hanging out with the This Is Not A Ketubah crew reminds me of the same feeling of joy, excitement, and awesome peoplehood I felt while in that restaurant in Israel.  The idea of using this cultural landmark while in a completely secular place struck me as not only incredibly creative (I wish it would happen in New York, too!), but also taking a traditional theme and making it—for lack of a better word—cool!

Each day we strive to create beautiful—maybe even funky—handmade works of art which speak directly to the couples who are about to break the glass. We ecstatically work with young fiancés to customize their ideas into something real, and they would want to see each and every day of their marriage.

At This Is Not A Ketubah we’re convinced that our Ketubahs ought to match the style and grace of the new Bride and Groom’s home, and they will proudly display their incredible marriage contract-cum- modern art in their home.

So while breaking the glass might be the most well-known part of the Jewish wedding, we like to dwell on another long-lasting way to remember your wedding: a beautiful custom Ketubah, created just for you!