Geek Calligraphy offers four pre-printed ketubah text options:

TRADITIONAL ASHKENAZI TEXT

Rabbis of the Eastern European communities of Jews (Ashkenaz) standardized the ketubah formula many years ago. While there are still many minor variations, most Ashkenazi ketubot are very similar. If you are getting married in an Orthodox ceremony, this is probably the text that your officiant will want you to use, but you should consult with your officiant first before purchasing your ketubah.

This text is all in Aramaic and Hebrew and in the public domain. Two witnesses are the only signatories.

A significant amount of information is required to personalize this text. You may want to review it before purchasing your ketubah so that you have it all at hand when you are asked to fill out the form. Download a PDF version of the personalization form »

The Text


The Translation

(Adapted from the translation by Jen Taylor Friedman)

On the $_Number day of the week, $_Date day of the month, in the year $_Year since the creation of the world, according to our manner of counting, here in settlement $_City, country $_Country, how the groom $_Ploni son of $_Ploni-II {name of mother and surname optional}, said to this $_FeminineNoun {virgin is usual, or substitute woman, bride, divorcee, widow, convert, or other, as appropriate} $_Plonit daughter of $_Ploni-III {name of mother and surname optional}: “Be to me a wife according to the law of Moses and Israel, and I will cherish, honor, support and sustain you according to the practice of Jewish men, who cherish, honor, support and sustain their wives faithfully. And I establish to you the price of $_FeminineNoun, plural {as before}, two hundred silver zuz {or other amount}, as is proper {insert “according to the law” if appropriate}. And I will sustain you, clothe you, and equip you, and cohabit with you according to the common practice. And $_Plonit, this $_FeminineNoun consented and became his wife. And the property which she brought with her from her father’s house {or 'from her house' or 'the women's house,' as appropriate} – including all silver, gold, valuables, apparel, furnishings, and linen – the groom accepted this at the value of one hundred silver zekukim {or as appropriate}, and added to this from his own assets the sum of one hundred silver zekukim {or as appropriate}, making two hundred silver zekukim {or as appropriate} in total. And thus said $_Ploni the groom: “I accept upon myself and upon my heirs after me the responsibility to pay this your price, this the value of your goods, and this my additional gift, such that they will be paid from the best of my estate and acquisitions, all I have under the heavens, that which I own now and that which I will come to own in the future. All my property, land and chattels, even the shirt from my shoulders, shall be held mortgaged to pay this price, this value of goods, and this additional gift, during my life and after my life, from this day and forever.” $_Ploni the groom has accepted upon himself the responsibility to pay this price, value of goods, and additional gift, according to all the strictures of marriage contracts and gifts therein which are customary for Jewish women, as enacted by our Sages of blessed memory. It should not be regarded as a matter unworthy of consideration, or as merely a formality. And we have performed ritual acquisition from $_Ploni son of $_Ploni-II {mother and surname optional, same as above}, the groom, on behalf of $_Plonit daughter of $_Ploni-III {mother and surname optional, same as above}, this $_FeminineNoun, and we have performed it in a ritually appropriate manner, to validate the above; and all is valid and established.
Signature______Witness
Signature______Witness

The following information is needed in order to fill out a Traditional Ashkenazi Text:

  • Hebrew name of the Groom

  • Hebrew name of the Groom's father

Note well: Geek Calligraphy only sells this text to clients who affirm that they are using an additional prenuptual document ensuring against iggun.

Lieberman Clause

The core of this text is the same as the one above, but it has an additional clause written by Rabbi Saul Lieberman z"l. The clause stipulates that, in the event of a civil divorce, either spouse can appear before the Joint Beit Din of the Conservative Movement and request a get, a Jewish divorce document, and initiate a religious divorce; without this clause, only the man can initiate religious divorce proceedings. Learn more »

This text is all in Aramaic and Hebrew and in the public domain. Two witnesses are the only signatories. It is also the one formally endorsed by the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement in America for heterosexual couples.

A significant amount of information is required to personalize this text. You may want to review it before purchasing your ketubah so that you have it all at hand when you are asked to fill out the form. Download a PDF version of the personalization form »

The Text


The Translation

(Adapted from the translation by Rabbi Elliot Dorff) 

We testify that on the $_number day of the week, the $_Date day of the month of $_Month in the year $_Year, here in settlement $_City in the state of $_State, how the groom, $_PloniI son of $_PloniII and PlonitII {of the family $_GSurname}, said to this $_FeminineNoun {"unmarried woman" is usual, or substitute "woman," "bride," "divorcee," "widow," "convert," or other as appropriate}, $_Plonit daughter of $PloniIII and $_PlonitIII {of the family $_BSurname}, "Be my wife according to the laws and traditions of Moses and the Jewish People. I will work on your behalf and honor, sustain and support you according to the practice of Jewish men, who faithfully work on behalf of their wives and honor, sustain and support them. And I obligate myself to give you the sum of $_Money zuzim as the money for your Ketubah, to which you are entitled {according to law}, and I will provide your food, clothing and necessities, and I will live with you in marital relations according to universal custom."
And the bride, $_Plonit $FeminineNoun agreed to these and to become his wife, to participate together with him in establishing their home in love, harmony, peace and companionship according to the practice of
Jewish women.
The groom, $_Ploni, accepted responsibility for the full dowry that she brought from her house, whether in silver, gold, jewelry, clothes or furnishings, according to the sum of $_HalfMoney zuzim, and agreed to increase the amount from his own assets with the sum of $_HalfMoney zuzim, for a total of $Money zuzim.
The groom, $Ploni, said, "I take upon myself and my heirs after me the obligation of this ketubah, the dowry and the additional sum, to be paid from the best part of all my property, real and personal, that I now possess or may hereafter acquire. From this day forward, all my property, wherever it may be, even the mantle on my
back, shall be mortaged and liened for the payment of this ketubah, dowry, and additional sum, whether during my lifetime or thereafter."
$_Ploni ,the groom, took upon himself the obligations and strictures of this ketubah, this dowry and this additional sum as is customary with other ketubot made for Jewish women in accordance with the enactment of our Sages, may their memory be for a blessing. $_Ploni son of $_PloniII and $_PlonitII {of the family $_GSurname}, the groom, and $_Plonit daughter of $_PloniIII and PlonitIII {of the family $_BSurname} $_FeminineNoun, further agreed that should either contemplate dissolution of their marriage, or following dissolution of their marriage in the civil courts, each may summon the other to the Beit Din of the Rabbinical Assembly and the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, or its representative, and that each will abide by its instructions so that throughout life each will be able to live according to the laws of the Torah.
This Ketubah is not to be regarded as mere rhetoric or as a perfunctory legal from. We have performed the act which in Jewish Law makes the obligations of this document legally binding on the part of $_Ploni son of $_PloniII and $_PlonitII {of the family $_GSurname},the groom, to $_Plonit daughter of $_PloniIII and PlonitIII {of the family $_BSurname} $_FeminineNoun, and on the part of $_Plonit daughter of $_PloniIII and PlonitIII {of the family $_BSurname} $_FeminineNoun, to $_Ploni son of $_PloniII and $_PlonitII {of the family $_GSurname}, the groom, with an instrument fit for that purpose in order to confirm all that is stated and specified above, which shall be valid and immediately effective.
Signature _______ Witness
Signature _______ Witness


RA Gender Neutral Lovers' Covenant

This is the text created by Rabbis Elliot Dorff, Daniel Nevins, and Avraham Reisner for the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative Movement of America's "Rituals and Documents of Marriage and Divorce for Same-Sex Couples." It references Torah and Talmudic passages and has both parties promise to live a shared life devoted to Jewish values.

This text is written in modern Hebrew with a direct English translation appearing below it, and the Rabbinical Assembly retains the copyright. Both parties to the marriage as well as two witnesses sign the document.

A significant amount of information is required to personalize this text. You may want to review it before purchasing your ketubah so that you have it all at hand when you are asked to fill out the form. Download a PDF version of the personalization form »

The Text

On the $_Number day of the week, the $_Date day of the month of $_Month in the year five thousand seven hundred $_Yeqar, corresponding to the secular date of $_GregorianDateString, here in $_City in the country of $_Country we, $Spouse1 the child of $ParentNames1, and $_Spouse2 the child of $_ParentNames2, before the people and the congregation make this holy declaration:

“Let it be known that our souls are bound one to the other with bonds of love and mutual devotion, and that it is our intention, with God’s help, to be exclusively faithful to each other all the days of our lives upon this earth. As our Sages taught: A person should find a partner with whom to eat, drink, read, study, sleep, and share every secret, secrets of Torah and secrets of life. We shall share from this day a complete partnership, joyfully and wholeheartedly establishing a household in common with moral and financial responsibilities for one another. We shall be loving partners for each other and will cherish, respect, sustain and assist one another in righteousness and faithfulness. With God’s help may our dwelling be filled with love and harmony, peace and companionship, and may we be privileged to nurture together our Jewish heritage, our love for our fellow Jews and the dignity of every creature."

We, the witnesses, attest that everything that is written and specified above has been done in our presence and is valid and effective.


Secular English Marriage Covenant

This text was composed by Rachel Berkson, presented here with a few changes. It contains no mentions of religion, but is rather a personal covenant between two equal parties; no gendered terms are used in this text. It promises mutual respect and kindness and the retention of individual identities. It makes no promise of sexual exclusivity, making it appropriate for open marriages or primary poly pairings.

There are lines for both of the spouses to sign as well as two witnesses. Rachel Berkson retains the copyright and all rights; it is printed here and on our ketubot with permission.

The Text

We, $_FirstSpouseName and $_SecondSpouseName, on $_Month $_Date, $_Year, agree to join our lives together.

We will give equal priority to each other’s happiness. We will make decisions to promote our collective benefit.

We will support and encourage each other. We will regard each other with compassion and kindness. We will help each other to deal with weakness and bad decisions and never expect perfection.

As we enjoy telling each other about our lives, we will value communication. We will listen carefully and assume good faith. We will avoid becoming distant through fear of talking about difficult things. We will understand and forgive if it takes some time to be able to handle a particular conversation.

We will nurture important relationships and connections in each other’s lives. We will accept each other's family as our own, and share responsibility for their practical needs. We will work to build a relationship as a couple that complements existing and developing friendships and welcomes those dear to us.

We will respect each other’s financial independence, while our commitment will enable us to take on joint obligations. We will not make financial decisions that favor one of us at the expense of the other, whether during our relationship or should it come to an end. We will provide material support if life circumstances require it.

We will put each other first. We will value our shared history and ongoing connection over the excitement of novelty. We will support each other in our careers, our beliefs, our communities, and our hobbies, in the parts of life we share and the parts we don’t.

Custom Text

If none of the texts above suit you, or if you wish to use one of the designs for something other than a ketubah, Geek Calligraphy offers the option to have us calligraph a custom text for you. The cost is $1.50/word, plus a base fee of $50, which covers both layout and the proofreader's fee (trust us, you want it proofread).

Email us with your text and the name of the ketubah design you want to purchase and we will walk you through the process.

At this time Geek Calligraphy does not sell unpersonalized ketubot.