The Article about the Royal Ketuba
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NOTE: The article below is reproduced here word for word from the article as it was printed in the St. Catharines Standard, April 12, 1982. Since this article was printed, the entire Royal situation drastically and tragically changed.
"Marriage Contract Is Piece of Art", by Doreen Martens, Standard Staff
So you think marriage contracts are a new-fangled notion?
Norman Slepkov can tell you it isn't so. In fact, he says, Jewish tradition has made the signing of a marital agreement an essential part of the wedding ritual for centuries.
Today, the contract -- written in an ancient form of Hebrew which even many rabbis have a hard time translating -- is usually relegated to the back of a drawer and forgotten.
But in generations past, the "ketuba", as it is called, was a highly regarded document that was lavishly decorated and given a place of honor on a wall of the family home.
Mr. Slepkov, a St. Catharines native now working as a free-lance graphic artist in Jerusalem, is one of a tiny number who are reviving the ancient folk art of decorating "ketubot".
When he returned to St. Catharines with his wife and daughters recently for a visit, he brought a ketuba of his own design along as a gift for his parents' wedding anniversary.
Although illuminated ketubot go back at least 800 years, he explained, the art died out in the early 19th century, perhaps because persecution of the Jews made the idea of advertising their heritage in this way less appealing.
Along with a number of ancient Jewish arts, Israeli artists have only recently brought the decoration of ketubot back into vogue.
"This is why a lot of older couples are getting them, or children are arranging an artist to do it for their parents' 50th or 60th wedding anniversaries," Mr. Slepkov explained.
People who know how to do the Hebraic calligraphy and fine design involved are still uncommon. Even in Israel, one will find only one or two ketuba artists in each city.
Mr. Slepkov, who migrated to Israel under the influence of the Jewish youth movement 14 years ago, designed his first ketuba for his own wedding in 1976.
Orders come in steadily now, although advertising is striclty through word of mouth.
Modern ketubot may look very traditional in design, perhaps with a geometric border resembling a stone tablet, or very 20th century chic, incoporating everything from Japanese motifs to Henri Rousseau-style jungle paintings.
Artists use a variety of techniques and materials: oil paints, gold leaf, silscreening, even intricate paper cuts and other techniques which create a three-dimensional effect.
Always the design is lavishly colored and embellished, a piece of art the couple can treasure and display for many years to come.
Mr. Slepkov prefers to use gouache -- a water-based paint -- for his ketubot. Usually, it's applied to a piece of real (sheepskin) parchment, or, if the couple are strictly vegetarian, to high quality paper which has been stained with ... to give it an antique effect.
Each ketuba is designed especially for the couple who ordered it.
"I talk to them and find out what their favorite colors are, what special designs they like," he explained.
One pair who recently rediscovered their faith, he found, loved the outdoors, a particular pomegranat tree, and rainbows. Their ketuba incorporated all those elements, including symbols of their faith in the form of candlesticks and challah (traditional bread).
Mr. Slepkov's favorite motif is the skyline of Jerusalem, including buildings that any visitor to the ancient city would remember as historic landmarks. One Manhattan couple who ordered a ketuba from Mr. Slepkov got the same design -- with the addition of a big red apple flying over the city.
The most famous bride and groom Mr. Slepkov has served since he began is the world's best-known pair of newlyweds -- the Prince and Princess of Wales.
"I'm a Canadian," he says, explaining why he decided to send the couple a wedding gift of his own design. "I have fond memories of going to Glenridge School when I was growing up. Every morning we'd have to sing God Save The Queen, and I and another girl would take turns playing the piano for the class."
When the royal engagement was announced, a journalist friend in Israel jokingly suggested sending the couple a ketuba.
"I just started thinking about it and thought it would make a beautiful gift, a gift of cultural goodwill."
Wondering if the Anglican folks in England would think the gift "kosher", he checked with the British consul.
To Mr. Slepkov's delight, the consult thought it was "a jolly good idea."
The royal ketuba took about 40 hours to complete, and includes the names and titles of the couple and their parents and witnesses transliterated into Hebrew letters.
The gift travelled to England via diplomatic channels, earning the artist and appreciative thankyou letter from Prince Charles' private secretary as well as celebrity status in Israel.
The future king and queen may not know what they've got on their hands, however.
Usually the ketuba is prepared before the marriage and signed at the wedding ceremony, which also requires the giving of a ring and the pronouncement of the traditional seven blessings.
Afterward, the contract becomes the property of the wife, since it represents the husband's promise to take care of her physical needs. It even includes a provision for alimony should he divorce her.
Not to worry, Charles and Di. Although the contract is supposed to be legally binding, it's valued today more for its beauty and symbolic significance than for the actual words it contains.
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