The Ketubah Mystery

Buby & Zayda's Wedding. From left: Mila Leffel, Izak Leffel, Pinchas Mendlowitz, and Ania Reinharz, of Geneva

My Bubby and Zayda, Mila and Izak Leffel were married on Shushan Purim, Friday March 7, 1947 (15 Adar, 5707). According to my Uncle Sach, Mommy’s brother Psachia Leffel, Shushan Purim was a great day to be married. First, Shushan Purim is a festive day. Second, it takes place in Adar, the month that “was transformed for [the Jews] from mourning to joy” (Esther 9:22). Next, it was a Friday. In the past, Jewish weddings were regularly held on Fridays. The chupah ceremony was held before sunset, and the wedding reception, which started after nightfall, was a grand Shabbat meal for all (see Chabad.org).

But, was that the date recorded on their Ketubah?

Declaration of Marriage

The Ketubah that I found in the Leather Satchel was written on Sunday, 6 Kislev 5710, which translates to November 27, 1949. The dates don’t match. After much searching, I stumbled upon the notion of a ketubah de'irkhesa – a replacement ketubah, in the event that the original was lost. Our Rabbi Eliyahu Kaufman of Ohav Emeth in Highland Park, NJ, confirmed this Ketubah replaced the lost original.

The replacement Ketubah was written in Hallein, Austria near the Salzburg Displaced Persons camp (Beth Israel). I also found a Sworn Declaration of Marriage (click to see text) dated November 17, 1949, which makes the date less erroneous. The Declaration confirmed that Izak and Mila were married on August 17, 1938 in Sanok, Poland and did not have their original marriage certificate. While the 1938 marriage date is incorrect, this may explain the date on the Ketubah.

For me, it's close enough on the dates…mystery solved!