Consult your officiant: You must get approval from your rabbi for the text you choose.
The Brit Ahava, written by Rachel Adler, Professor Emerita of Modern Jewish Thought and Judaism and Gender at Hebrew Union College, is a popular egalitarian, feminist, and LGBTQ+ text for ketubah. This text can be prepared in Hebrew, English, or both.
Brit Ahava Ketubah Text Option
בְּרִית אֲהוּבִים
בְּ _____ בְּשַׁבָּת (יוֹם)_____ (חֹדֶשׁ)(שָׁנָה) לִבְרִיאַת עוֹלָם לְמִנְיָן שֶׁאָנוּ מוֹנִין בַּ (עִיר)(מְדִינָה)_____ הַשֻּׁתָּפִיםבֵּן בַּתלְמִשְׁפַּחַת_____ וְ בֵּן בַּתלְמִשְׁפַּחַת_____ מְקַיְּמִים בְּיֵינֵיהֶם לִפְנֵי עֵדִים בְּרִית אֲהוּבִים וּמַכְרִיזִים עַל כַּוָנָתַם לְהִתְקַשֵּׁר בְּשׁוּתָפוּת לְהָקִים בַּיִת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל
הַסְכֵּם זֶה שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ בוֹ_____ בֵּן בַּתוְבֵּן בַּת_____ בְּרִית קְדוֹשָׁה הִיא כִּבְרִיתוֹת הַקְּדוֹמוֹת שֶׁל עַמֵּינוּ הָעֲשׂוּיוֹת בְּאֱמוּנָה וּבַשָּׁלוֹם לַעֲמֹד לַנֶּצַח
בְּרִית שְׁמִירָה וְתִקְוָה הִיא כַּבְּרִית שֶׁנִּשָּׁבַע אֲדֹנָי אֶל נוּחַ וְצֶאֱצָאַיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר: וְהָיְתָה הַקֶּשֶׁת בֶּעָנָן וּרְאִיתִיהָ לִזְכֹּר בְּרִית עוֹלָם בֵּין אֱלֹהִים וּבֵין כָּל נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה בְּכָל בָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר עַל הָאָרֶץ. וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל נֹחַ זֹאת אוֹת הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר הֲקְמְתִּי בֵּינִי וּבֵין כָּל בָּשָׂר אֲשֶׁר עַל הָאָרֶץ
:בְּרִית סְגֻלָּה הִיא כִּבְרִית כַּבְּרִית שֶׁעָשָׂה אֲדֹנָי עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר
.וַהֲיִיתֶם לִי לְעָם וְאָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה לָכֶם לָאֱלֹהִים
:בְּרִית יְדִידוּת הִיא הַמְּקַשֶּׁרֶת לְבָבוֹת כְּשֶׁכָּרְתוּ דָּוִד וַיְהוֹנַתָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר
.וְנֶפֶשׁ יְהוֹנָתָן וְדָוִד בְּרִית בְּאַהֲבָתוֹ אֹתוֹ כְּנַפְשׁוֹ
:בְּרִית שֶׁל חֶסֶד הֲדָדִי הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת כַּבְּרִית נְשׂוּאֵיהֶם שֶׁל אֲדֹנָי וְצִיּוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר
.וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי לְעוֹלָם. וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי בְּצֶדֶק וּבְמִשְׁפָּט וּבְחֶסֶד וּבַחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים. וְאֵרַשְׂתִּיךְ לִי בֶּאֱמוּנָה וְיָדַעַתְּ אֶת אֲדֹנָי
On _____ (day of week) the _____ day of _____ (month), 57__, according to Jewish reckoning (_____ month _____ day _____ year, according to secular reckoning), in the city of _____ (state or region), _____ (country), _____ (Hebrew name) daughter/son of _____ and _____ whose surname is _____ and _____ (Hebrew name) daughter/son of _____ and _____ whose surname is _____ confirm in the presence of witnesses a lovers’ covenant between them and declare a partnership to establish a household among the people of Israel.
The agreement into which _____ and _____ are entering is a holy covenant like the ancient covenants of our people, made in faithfulness and peace to stand forever. It is a covenant of protection and hope like the covenant God swore to Noah and his descendants, saying
When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures, all flesh that is on earth. That,” God said to Noah, “shall be the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh” (Gen. 9:16–17).
It is a covenant of distinction, like the covenant God made with Israel, saying
You shall be My people, and I shall be your God (Jer. 30:22).
It is a covenant of devotion, joining hearts like the covenant David and Jonathan made, as it is said,
And Jonathan’s soul was bound up with the soul of David. Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself (1 Sam. 18:1-3).
It is a covenant of mutual lovingkindness like the wedding covenant between God and Zion, as it is said,
I will espouse you forever. I will espouse you with righteousness and justice and lovingkindness and compassion. I will espouse you in faithfulness and you shall know God (Hos. 2:21-22).
Provisions of the Covenant
The following are the provisions of the lovers’ covenant into which _____ (Partner 1 – Hebrew name) daughter/son of _____ and _____ and _____ (Partner 2 – Hebrew name) daughter/son of _____ and _____ now enter:
1. _____ and _____ declare that they have chosen each other as companions, as our rabbis teach:
Get yourself a companion. This teaches that a person should get a companion, to eat with, to drink with, to study Bible with, to study Mishnah with, to sleep with, to confide all one’s secrets, secrets of Torah and secrets of worldly things. (Avot D’Rabbi Nat an 8)
2. _____ and _____ declare that they are setting themselves apart for each other and will take no other lover.
3. _____ and _____ hereby assume all the rights and obligations that apply to family members: to attend, care, and provide for one another [and for any children with which they may be blessed] [and for _____ child/children of _____ ]
4. _____ and _____ commit themselves to a life of kindness and righteousness as a Jewish family and to work together toward the communal task of mending the world.
5. _____ and _____ pledge that one will help the other at the time of dying, by carrying out the last rational requests of the dying partner, protecting him/her from indignity or abandonment and by tender, faithful presence with the beloved until the end, fulfilling what has been written:
Set me as a seal upon your arm, for love is stronger than death. (Song of Songs 8:6)
To this covenant we affix our signatures.
The partners:
______________
_______________
Witnessed this day the _____ day of Parashat _____ (Hebrew date).
The witnesses:
______________
______________
From Engendering Judaism, by Rachel Adler (The Jewish Publication Society, 1998).