Photograph of Temple Beth-El, the first house of worship for Beth-El, Fort Worth's Reform Jewish congregation. It was a two-story, neo-classical synagogue constructed of wood and stucco. Above the columned entrance was a wooden Star of David, beneath which were the Hebrew words "Y'he Or," meaning "Let There Be Light." Handwritten notes on the back of the photograph say, "Beth-El Congregation's 1st synagogue; built 1908 @ 5th & Taylor Streets. Photo from The Jewish Monitor, 1915. Greek Revival Style, The Hebrew Lettering says: 'Let there be light.'"

Photograph of the second synagogue of Beth-El Congregation, Fort Worth's Reform Jewish house of worship. The photo appears to have been taken in 1948 after the temple was refurbished due to a 1946 fire that gutted the interior. The red-brick building, at 207 W. Broadway Ave., has two-stories plus a basement with a social hall and kitchen. The building's facade has a frieze above the entry with a quote from Psalms ("Give Ear, O Lord, Unto My Prayer") as well as two menorahs above the frieze. There are also stained-glass windows around the entrance and along the length of the building. A handwritten note on the back of the photo says, "Exterior 2nd Temple. 207 W. Broadway."

Photograph of the entrance to the synagogue at 207 W. Broadway Ave. that served Beth-El Congregation from 1920 to 2000. The building has two stories plus a basement with a social hall and kitchen. It is constructed of red brick and limestone. In the photo, the facade has a frieze above the entry with a quote from Psalms ("Give Ear, O Lord, Unto My Prayer") as well as two limestone menorahs above the quotation. The stained-glass windows on the front and side of the building are protected by storm windows. This image shows the front of the building shortly before the congregation moved to a new location across town. Several of the decorative features, particularly the frieze and limestone arches, are stained with black marks from 80 years of air pollution. When the congregation moved in August of 2000, the frieze, menorahs, and a Ten-Commandment carving were removed from the facade and replaced with red brick.

Photograph of Beth-El's Building Committee. Four of the committee members are seated around a wooden table, the other four members are standing behind them. Handwritten notes on the back of the photograph say "Briarhaven Planning Committee" "from Len S. Construction book" and list the persons in the photo from left to right. Front row: Lynny Sankary, [Committee Chairman] Irwin Krauss, Judith Cohen, Billy Rosenthal Back row: Ken Baum, Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger, Dr. Ira Hollander, Shelden Anisman.

Photograph of Beth-El's Building Committee. The committee members are standing around a wooden table looking at the building plans. Handwritten notes on the back of the photograph say "Briarhaven Planning Committee" "from Len S. Construction book" and list the persons in the photo from left to right. Clockwise from left: David Stanford (architect), [Committee Chairman] Irwin Krauss, Ken Baum, Lynny Sankary, Sheldon Anisman, Jane Manning & Bob Wagnon (designers), Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger, Judith Cohen.

Photocopy of a portrait of Simon Gabert (1836-1911), visible from the chest up. He is dressed in a Knights of Pythias Uniform including a jacket and hat. Gabert was a German immigrant who worked as a cotton broker. He came to Fort Worth, Texas in 1856 and returned after fighting for the Union during the Civil War; he was among the founders of Beth-El Congregation.

Photograph of the Torah March, August 8, 2000, during which members of Beth-El Congregation carry Torah scrolls from the old synagogue to the new. The march was organized to transport the congregation's six handwritten Torah scrolls 7.5 miles from the old synagogue at 207 W. Broadway Avenue to the temple's new building at 4900 Briarhaven Road. In this image, those at the front of the march include several teenagers in the temple youth group. The Torahs, usually covered with velvet mantles, are protected with white terry-cloth covers decorated with a blue Jewish star. Also at the front of the procession are members of the color guard from Jewish War Veterans Martin Hochster Post #755. Some of the other 300 congregants who participated are visible in the background.

Photograph of teenagers from the Fort Worth Federation of Temple Youth carrying the Torahs during the Torah march. The Torah march was organized to carry the six handwritten Torah scrolls 7.5 miles from the old synagogue at 207 W. Broadway Avenue to the new Temple Beth-El location at 4900 Briarhaven Road. In this image, five teenagers carry the Torahs (covered by white terry-cloth covers decorated with a blue Jewish star) in a line. From left to right, they are: Adam Hollander, Corey Pew, Tommy Campbell, Micah Horton, and Sarah Rausch. An unidentified young girl is visible in the foreground and parked cars are visible in the background. Handwritten text on the back of the photo says, "Beth-El Archives, Torah March, Aug. 13, 2000, FWFTY carriers of Torahs."

Photograph of Rozanne and Billy Rosenthal holding two of the Torahs (covered by white terry-cloth covers decorated with a blue Jewish star) at the Torah march, August 13, 2000. The Torah march was organized to carry the six handwritten Torah scrolls 7.5 miles from the old synagogue at 207 W. Broadway Avenue to the new Temple Beth-El located at 4900 Briarhaven Road. In this image, the Rosenthals are posing with the Torahs outside of a building; they are both wearing baseball caps with the words "Torah Toter" written across the front. Some of the other 300 congregants who participated are visible in the background.

Photograph of congregation members from Temple Beth-El in Fort Worth, Texas during the Torah march. The Torah march was organized to carry the six handwritten Torah scrolls 7.5 miles from the synagogue at 207 W. Broadway Avenue to the new Temple Beth-El location at 4900 Briarhaven Road. In this image, a group of people are in Forest Park during part of the march. The three people in the foreground are Sandra free (chair of the event), Steven Ginsberg holding a Torah (covered by terry-cloth covers that are white with a blue Jewish star), and Jeanne Ginsberg. Some of the other 300 congregants who participated are visible in the background.

Photograph of congregation members from Temple Beth-El in Fort Worth, Texas during the Torah March including a color guard from Jewish War Veterans Martin Hochster Post #755 who led the final stretch. The Torah march was organized to carry the six handwritten Torah scrolls 7.5 miles from the old synagogue at 207 W Broadway Avenue to the new Temple Beth-El at 4900 Briarhaven Road. In this photograph, the color guard includes (from left to right) Ted Hoffman carrying the American flag, George Seff with the Lone Star flag, Gary Baum carrying the post banner, and Zac Shlachter, a teen in the congregation's youth group.

Partial presentation containing labeled slides that showcase the stained-glass windows on the interior of the Beth-El synagogue in Fort Worth, Texas. The images include the stained-glass windows and views of the chapel and sanctuary; in order, the slide images are: [2] the Chapel (interior), [3] close-up of the three stained-glass windows in the Chapel, [4] Hall of Remembrance, [5] main sanctuary (interior), [6] close-up of sanctuary front (interior) and stained glass, [7] close-up of the stained-glass window depicting a shofar, [8] close-up of the stained-glass window depicting a burning bush, and [9] close-up of the stained-glass window depicting the tree of life.

Photograph of the 1961 Ahavath Sholom confirmation class standing around the altar of the synagogue at 1600 W. Myrtle St., Fort Worth, Texas. The women are standing in the front and wearing light-colored robes; the men are standing in the back and wearing dark-colored robes. From left to right, the confirmands pictured are: Front row: Arlene Lois Sonkin, Leslie Faye Kreisberg, Karen Sue Imber, Andrea Bernstein (Deen), Marlene Annette Schwartz, Andrea Ruth Goldberg, Trudy Klimist, Diane Jane Mehl. Second row: Harold Zenick, Helen Susan Hillman, Gail S. Shandelson, Ellen Bari Brachman, Carol Klimist, Sally Ann Schumer, Karen Ann Lerner. Third row: Michael Raskin, Ronald Herzfeld, Lawrence J. Korenman, Edward H. Garsek, Gerald Zenick, Sanford Bogart, Charles Morton Coughey, Tommy Lee Stanley. Back row: Ronald D. Savitz, Herbert Weisblatt, Ben P. Herman, Cantor Phillip Kirshner, Rabbi Isadore Garsek, Ben D. Tobor, Sherwin Coplin, Richard J. Savitz.

Sample marriage certificate (called a Ketubah) presented to couples married at the Congregation Ahavath Sholom in Fort Worth, Texas as of 1990. The certificate includes three panels. On the far left, text primarily in English describes the vows of marriage. In the center, the main text of the certificate is in Hebrew with blanks for specific information; the text is surrounded by illustrations of plants and crops. On the far right there are lines for names and signatures of participants and witnesses. This form was designed by the Rabbinical Assembly (an organization of American Conservative rabbis).

Handwritten list of the thirty one members of the Ahavath Sholom Congregation in 1895 in Fort Worth, Texas. The front of the document lists the members of the congregation, and the back of the document lists the officers. When the list was created, Ahavath Sholom was the only synagogue in Fort Worth.

Handwritten minutes for the Ahavath Sholom Congregation in Fort Worth, Texas. The minutes are written in Yiddish, the native tongue of the members. The minutes discuss a legal dispute with a "chazzan," or a prayer leader who sued the congregation.

Handwritten minutes for the Ahavath Sholom Congregation in Fort Worth, Texas. The minutes are written in Yiddish, the native tongue of the members. The document discusses the Sabbath morning services for the congregation.

In 1921, Fort Worth’s Congregation Ahavath Sholom introduced the rite of Confirmation, the graduation from religious school that coincides with the Jewish holiday Shavuos when Moses received the Ten Commandments. This picture shows the twelve, 14-year-old girls in the Confirmation class wearing white dresses, holding flowers and certificates rolled up like scrolls. The students are seated in two rows and are identified as: Row 1: Lena Shosid (Cooles), Fannie Herman, unidentified, Hannah Byrens, Bess Lipshitz (Cohen), unidentified Row 2: Sarah Shosid (Bloomberg), unidentified, unidentified, Leah Goldstein (Gerson), unidentified, unidentified An article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram of June 3, 1921, named each confirmand and also listed Dorothy Cohen, Rose Weinstein, Bertha Mosier, Ida Mosier, Edna Lipshy, and Esther Ablon. Each confirmand addressed the congregation. They completed a course of study in Jewish history, religion and literature.

Photograph of the 1928 Ahavath Sholom confirmation class standing on the altar (called a bimah) of the synagogue located downtown in the 800 block of Taylor Street in Fort Worth, Texas. From left to right, the confirmands are: Rebecca Luskey, Cecile Bodzy, Martha Daiches, Mrs. Abraham Bengis (teacher), Rabbi Abraham Bengis, Esther Klimist, Sally Kruger, Sarah Garston. Behind the confirmands is a replica of the Ten Commandments which rests above the curtained ark, which houses the Torah scrolls. In front of the dais is a seven-branched menorah.

Photograph of the 1932 Ahavath Sholom confirmation class standing around the altar (called a bimah) of the synagogue located at 823 Taylor Street in downtown Fort Worth, Texas. The members of the photograph, from left to right, are: Top row: Sylvia Engler (Roberts), Jesonda Gilbert (Fox), Sadye May Carshon (Garsek), Bessie Resnick, Lillian Rose Rabinowitz (Rosenthal), Rebecca Laves, Pearl Paul, Gussie Kruger, Dorothy Dworkin (Glazer), Sarah Weisblatt (Kragen), Rhoda Kershner. Bottom row: Jennie Moses (Winkler)(teacher), Rabbi Philip Graubart.

Photograph of the 1940 Ahavath Sholom confirmation class standing around the altar of the synagogue located downtown on Taylor Street in Fort Worth, Texas. From left to right, the members of the photograph are: Front row: Bertha Haller, Gloria Sheinberg (Swann). Back row: Rabbi Philip Graubart, Margie Cohen (Levingston), Dorothy Bergman, Jennie Moses (Winkler)(teacher), Dorothy Cohen, Shirley Garston (Cohen), Annie Kaplan, Betty Daiches (Sher).

Flyer promoting "Family Night at La Grave Field" with the Fort Worth Cats, a minor league baseball team from Fort Worth, Texas. The flyer is promoting a game between the Cats and a team in Houston, Texas. There is an illustration of a baseball player holding a bat.

Poster for the annual book fair "sponsored by the Council of Jewish Women," as noted on the front on the poster. Full poster text reads: "Book Fair, Give your Books Now to be Sold at Nominal Prices at the BOOK FAIR, APRIL 3 thru 11, SEMINARY SOUTH SHOPPING Center. PHONE WA3-7495 for FREE PICK-UP. PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT TARRANT COUNTY Youth Projects."

Poster for the annual book fair sponsored by the Fort Worth, Texas section of the National Council of Jewish Women, as noted on the front of the poster. The full poster text reads: "THE 21st YEAR BOOK FAIR, MARCH 11 - MARCH 19, At the Lena Pope Home, corner of Hulen and West Freeway (I-20). Sponsored by Ft. Worth Section of the NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN. All kinds of books for sale at nominal prices, proceeds for TARRANT COUNTY COMMUNITY PROJECT. Deposit your used books in barrels located throughout the city."