Chief Rabbinate Council sets new financial range for ketubahs

The Chief Rabbinate Council has approved a new financial range for ketubahs, setting a minimum of NIS 36,000 and a maximum of NIS 360,000. This decision, adopted last week, aims to curb excessively high commitments that rabbis say often bear little relation to a groom's actual ability to pay, potentially leading to disputes. The new limits will be implemented during the marriage-registration process, ensuring the sum entered falls within this range. However, the article clarifies that this does not guarantee a woman will automatically receive the sum upon divorce, as rabbinical courts will still determine the payment based on case circumstances. Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Kalman Meir Ber stated the new boundaries are intended to restore the ketubah to its proper role as "a halachic document with meaning, and not an empty declaration of intent."