Sunday, June 2, 2013

Fascinating Kethubah from NYC, dated 1885, written on 4 pages.





Above is a  fascinating early American Kethuba I discovered recently. Bound at end of Sepher Likute Tzvi, collected ethical prayers and readings, is an AMERICAN KETHUBAH in a square Ashkenazic script dated, NY 1885.
The Sefer Likute Tzvi was published in Sulzbach in 1802.
The two leaf ketubah is written in brown ink in a cursive script with the names of the bride and groom penciled in a cursive script. The final leaf of the Ketubah is pasted on the final index of the end of the work. The names of the witnesses are signed in ink at end of Kethubah. The place of the Marriage is recorded in the Ketubah as being Cong. Shaare Beracha, in the city of NY BeMedinat Amerika.

Following Ketubah is a loose page with one side containing the blessings to be said under the Huppah and on reverse in pencil is recorded the actual date and place of the wedding, Sunday, 14th day of Kislev, 5649, Victoria Hall, NYC. The groom is identified as Harry Simons. Unfortunately the page is cut at edges so balance of information is lost. This last page may be recording a different marriage than the one the Kethubah was used for. The Book and the appended kethubah measure just 5x3"

I highly doubt that this Kethubah would pass the Halakhic standards of today. 

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