Translating the Ketubah

The Jewish Marriage Contract in America and England

Benjamin Steiner

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English

The University of Alabama Press
30 June 2025

Judaism; Sociology: family & relationships; Family law: marriage & divorce

Series: Jews and Judaism: History and Culture

A groundbreaking exploration of the Jewish marriage contract and its evolution in English translation

Translating the Ketubah offers a fresh perspective on the ketubah, the Jewish marriage contract. Traditionally composed in Aramaic, ketubot have been examined in other books within the frameworks of Jewish law and Jewish art. Here, however, Benjamin Steiner shows how translations of the ketubah into English helped Jews adapt to changing social and economic circumstances across more than two centuries.

Steiner uses ketubot to trace the intricate relationship between religious law and secular law, the changing status of women within and outside Judaism, and the complex desire of Jews to be both authentically Jewish and fully acculturated. Steiner further shows how ketubah translation aided Jews to achieve different cultural goals. It has been used to uphold rabbinic law in communities where religious affiliation was voluntary to ensure women's economic security. It has also facilitated socialization with non-Jews and addressed perceived crises within the Jewish family.

Through a nuanced analysis of ketubah translations from England and various regions of the United States from the late eighteenth century to the present, Steiner offers a detailed look at how Jews have adapted ancient tradition to meet the challenges and opportunities of different historical contexts. His work sheds new light on the rich history of American and British Jewry.

By: Benjamin Steiner
Imprint: The University of Alabama Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm,
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9780817362058
ISBN 10: 0817362053
Series: Jews and Judaism: History and Culture
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 30 June 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Benjamin Steiner is a visiting assistant professor of religion at Trinity College, Hartford. His peer-reviewed scholarship has appeared in the American Jewish Archives Journal, Modern Judaism, and American Jewish History.

Reviews for Translating the Ketubah: The Jewish Marriage Contract in America and England

""Translating the Ketubah is a most welcome contribution to scholars, students, and anyone eager to enjoy a pathbreaking approach to religious studies and American Jewish history."" --Zev Eleff, author of Who Rules the Synagogue? Religious Authority and the Formation of American Judaism ""An indispensable addition to the study of Jewish marriage customs and women's legal rights, this meticulously researched manuscript offers a fascinating journey through the history of English translations of ketubot in America and England from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries."" --Ellen M. Umansky, author of From Christian Science to Jewish Science: Spiritual Healing and American Jews