The Stars and the Cookie Jar

I'm almost certain I've seen them before... but if not, then you just need one made with the pronouns adjusted, not exactly difficult. I know artsy people who would go for that sort of project... My calligraphy is all right, it's the decorative bits I'm a little weak on.

It's a bit paraphrastic at points. I tried to translate it into real English, although I'm not sure I succeeded in every case. Personally, I like the legalistic tone and the emphasis on property, as I think it makes it more like a traditional ketubah. You may not, and you can certainly edit it, though I can't promise to translate any changes into correct Aramaic. You should certainly edit the English if you think you can make it sound better. (I suspect that you're better at this sort of thing than I am.)

Here it is:

[Day of the week], xth day of Nissan, of the year 5765:

We, [name] and [name] hereby commit to the following sacred pledge:
Let it be known that our souls have been bound to one another in love and mutual commitment, and that we intend, with the help of heaven, to be faithful to one another exclusively all the days of our lives. We will be loving companions, and each of us will cherish, honor, and support the other in an upright and faithful manner. On this account, we hereby establish a joint household. Our property will be shared, and we will reside in the same home. With the help of heaven, our household will be one of love and harmony, peace and companionship, in which we, together, will foster the Jewish tradition, love of Israel, and respect for all God’s creations. Likewise, we pledge to one another exclusively, in a sacred and nonretractable pledge, that we will aid one another and rely on one another to avoid transgressing, God forbid, any law that carries the penalty of excision.* We joyfully affirm all the above.

Signatures:

*Rabbi Roth had his own reasons for including this line. I’d leave it out if I were you.

My husband reminds me that the original purpose of the ketubah was to offer protections that women might not otherwise have in a patriarchal society. While the protections offered by the ketubah are no longer necessary for women in our society (and, in fact, often do more harm than good), we are still at a stage at which same-sex partners do not have the same rights and protections as married heterosexuals. Making the necessary legal arrangements to compensate for this may be more in the spirit of the ketubah than signing a "covenant of love."

Here are some suggestions along those lines, as well as ideas for a ceremony including a somewhat more innovative version of sheva berachot.

This article and this article are also worth reading. Unfortunately, none of them provide alternative ketubah texts. I will let you know if I see anything interesting.