Lecture: As Kings & Queens

What the Art of Ketubahs Teaches Us About Jewish Life and History

Session Length: 60 Minutes

     For centuries, the Jewish people adorned their homes with beautifully painted, hand-written ketubot to symbolize their marriage - but what can these contracts tell us about the worldview and visual identity of Jews across the world? From the steppes of Ukraine and Poland to the sun-kissed city walls of Persia and Syria, illuminated ketubot give us a snapshot into the everyday lives of our ancestors in their respective exilic community. But what does the crest of a royal family, a nude representation of Adam and Eve, the zodiac and Four Seasons, depictions of the Holy Temple, or certain patterns and flowers tell us about our collective culture? Jump into the world of hundreds of years of marriage contracts, to learn about the deep and scandalous world of the Jewish art of our predecessors!