Q. My son’s wife when she became a Baalas Teshuva, she was a teenager and didn’t know what her Hebrew name was, so she choose her own name as Rachel Leora – her parents recently discovered when they were clearing out their house after they sold it, that she was called Leah Alexandra when she was born in a Reform shul which makes sense as her English name Celia Alexandra. Does she have to change her Kesuva?
A. On question 438 regarding someone that was severely sick and a name was added, then he got B”H well, if he has to change his Kesuvah, we wrote: “Horav Itzchok Zilberstein Shlit”a in Aleinu Leshaveach (1 p. 611) rules that a Kesuva already written in the past does not have to be changed when a name is added, other Poiskim seem to agree (Avioh Segulos p. 468, Kuntres B’rich Rachmono 36 quoting the Steipler Gaon Zt’L, et al.).
Horav Refoel Alter Shmulevitz Shlit’a mentioned to me from his own experience that he was told by a Horav Yisroel Yaakov Fisher zt”l to change his Kesuva. (Horav Fisher, was supportive of name changing and choosing the right name as a segulah. Please note that any changes of a Kesuva, have to be done by a competent rabbinical authority)
Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlita opinion is that an existing Kesuva does not have to be rewritten.”
Horav Akiva Steinmetz Shlit’a added that the same would apply to one that through the years changed his/hers name simply by moving to another location or similar. The Kesuva is still valid, if that was the correct name at the time it was written.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as advised by Horav Dovid Pam and Horav Akiva Steinmetz Shlit’a