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Gregg and Jennifer, September 2nd, 2001
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Today, however, the differences generally exist across denominations of Judaism. Thus, most couples use the ketubah text handed to them by their Rabbi, synagogue, or denomination. Only rarely do couples create ketubah texts that reflect their individual marriages, especially in Hebrew (it is more common to add a hand-written English ketubah text). Of course, writing a ketubah in Hebrew is not so easy.
But the deeper reason is that it has not been the recent custom to write original, individual ketubah texts. Instead, ketubah texts serve as a reminder of the marrying couple's connection to tradition and/or the Jewish people. Today, many ketubah texts derive their meaning from the fact that they are virtually the same from ketubah to ketubah, generation to generation.
A new vision of the ketubah text as a living, personally relevant, and legally binding contract is emerging. Rabbis and scholars and marrying couples are beginning to author new ketubah texts that reflect the requirements, experiences, and sensibilities of the modern world. Some draw upon ketubah texts that date from medieval times and remain true to Jewish halacha (law). Others recreate the ketubah text in an entirely new vision. As this explosion of possibilites continues, marrying couples will increasingly be able to utilize a contract that reflects their own ideas and plans for their marriage.