Who’s the Chatan?! Where is the Aufruf?! Is my Bedecken Showing?!

Lost in a sea of confusing Hebrew & Yiddish wedding jargon? Hebrew has always been the language of our people, from the days wondering in the desert to figuring out how to hail a cab in Israel. But what happens when you last went to Hebrew School in the fifth grade, and need to navigate through the tricky ceremonial order of a traditional Jewish wedding? Or if you’re new to the world of the Jewish Wedding and feel a little perplexed by all these new terms (and heavy emphasis on the use of the throat-clearing ‘H’ sound) you’re not alone!

Luckily, the wedding experts over at The Knot have put together this super-helpful Jewish Wedding Glossary of Terms. Even some members of Team Ketubah had a thing or two to learn form this great resource, which we happily recommend to even the most experienced Jewish couples– it’s never too late to learn new words!

If you’ve checked out some of our other (hopefully informational) posts from the world of funky modern art ketubahs, you know that all of Team Ketubah has a serious obsession with blending modern and traditional, old with new, and joyful with exuberant for your wedding celebration. So how can this list of words pulled straight from the shtetl days of Eastern Europe help make your day incredible?

This Is Not a Ketubah wants your wedding celebration to be both cool and meaningful. From adding new spins to old traditions (say, having the Bride and Groom both bless the Torah for their Aliyah) to knocking them out of the park (signing an incredible Rothko or Chagall-inspired Ketubah…my personal favorite!), we want to be part of the magic of your wedding day!

So take a look at The Knot’s incredible glossary, and let us know if you need help figuring out any of the words—we can commiserate together. Just kidding! We’re here to help, from creating a beautiful traditional or interfaith and gay Ketubah to tips on how to make sure your badchan doesn’t steal your limelight!

Jacob
Team Ketubah