[1930 Ahavath Sholom Dues Statement] (open access)

[1930 Ahavath Sholom Dues Statement]

Bill for $125 in annual dues for the Ahavath Sholom Congregation, in Fort Worth, Texas. The dues statement is for congregation member, B. Max Mehl.
Date: October 28, 1930
Creator: Ahavath Sholom Congregation
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History

Family Night at La Grave Field

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.
Date: August 1952
Creator: B'nai B'rith Lodge
Object Type: Poster
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Memorial Service Flyer] (open access)

[Memorial Service Flyer]

Flyer announcing a community memorial service to be held at the Ahavath Sholom Synagogue in Fort Worth, Texas. The memorial service was in memory of local soldiers "fallen in battle," and was officiated by Rabbi Samuel Soskin and Rabbi Charles Blumenthal. The soldiers remembered were: Richard Burt, Harold Gilbert, Alvin Rubin and Walter C. Sanders.
Date: 1946
Creator: B'nai B'rith Lodge
Object Type: Pamphlet
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Stained Glass Windows, Beth-El Congregation, Briarhaven Rd. Synagogue]

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.
Date: 2000
Creator: Beth El Congregation (Fort Worth, Tex.)
Object Type: Presentation
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter to a Gold Star Mother] (open access)

[Letter to a Gold Star Mother]

Typed letter from Amon Carter and his son, Amon Carter Jr. to "a Gold Star Mother." Gold Star Mothers is a support organization formed for mothers who lost a son or daughter in World War II. The letter expresses condolences and comfort to Rose Gilbert and was accompanied by a gift basket of grapefruits, as noted in the letter.
Date: December 22, 1947
Creator: Carter, Amon Giles, 1879-1955 & Carter, Amon G., Jr.
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Jewish Pre-School Students]

Photograph of pre-school students at the Dan Danciger Jewish Community Center in Fort Worth, Texas. The students are arranged in five rows with students in the back two rows standing and the others are seated; the teachers are standing other either side of the students. From left to right, the teachers in the photograph are: Lil Goldman, Ceil Echt, Eunice Coy and Miriam Schultz.
Date: 1964~
Creator: Don Barnett Photography
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Letter from Harry Goldstein] (open access)

[Letter from Harry Goldstein]

Typed letter to the family of Private Harold Gilbert from a fellow soldier named Harry Goldstein, sent from Marseilles. The letter describes the sinking of a troop transport ship, Dec. 25, 1944, in which in which Gilbert was killed.
Date: August 9, 1945
Creator: Goldstein, Harry
Object Type: Letter
System: The Portal to Texas History

[1952 Ahavath Sholom Confirmation Class]

Photograph of the 1952 Ahavath Sholom confirmation class standing near the altar (called a bimah) at the synagogue at 1600 W. Myrtle Street, Fort Worth, Texas. There are six young men wearing black robes in the picture and four young women wearing white robes. From left to right, the confirmands pictured are: Front row: Patsy Ansel, Saradel Applebaum (Baker), Diane Solomon (Oberstein), Estaline Tuck (Gilbert). Back row: Burton Rakoover, Tommy Weitzman, Bernard "Bubba" Rubin, Rabbi Isadore Garsek, Jack Lichtman, Marty Bloomberg.
Date: November 20, 1952
Creator: Hall Bakke Photography
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History
[Hebrew Institute Building Fund Committee] (open access)

[Hebrew Institute Building Fund Committee]

Letterhead stationary for the Hebrew Institute Building Fund Committee outlining all the donors for the institute and their monetary contributions. The building, designed by the architectural firm of Field and Clarkson, was constructed between April and August of 1914 in the 800 block of Taylor Street in Fort Worth, Texas at a cost of $14,668. The top left corner of the document shows an architectural drawing of the building.
Date: 1913~
Creator: Hebrew Institute. Board.
Object Type: Text
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Beth-El Congregation's Second Synagogue]

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."
Date: 1948
Creator: J. Allison
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Ahavath Sholom Sunday School Students]

Photograph of the Ahavath Sholom Congregation Sunday School students. They are standing on the front steps outside the synagogue in the 800 block of Taylor Street in Fort Worth, Texas. From left to right, top to bottom, the students in the photograph are: Row 1: Betty Carshon, Rachel Kruger, Dora Laves, Lena Rovinsky, Udys Weinstein, Lily Dworkin, Joe Ray Schwartzberg. Row 2: Charlie Anton, Milton Mehl, Arthur Rosenbaum, Charlotte Ray, Lily Levine, Molly Finger, Freda Hurwitz, Rae Carshon, Mary Bliss, Sylvia Shosid. Row 3: Alex Victor, William Hurwitz, Irving Kershman, Julius Scolnic, Mary Resnick, Sophia Blum, Mary Herman, Ida Berg, Beatrice Frankrich, Reva Nebrat, Gertrude Ellis, Raymond Dan. Row 4: Sidney Deutch, David Tuck, Rubin Anton, Norma Resnick, Lily Alpert, Rose Chicotsky, Hannah Chicotsky, Anna Gordon, Martha Daiches. Row 5: Nathan Frankel, Abe Goldstein, Abe Shosid, Paul Herman, Johanna Winer, Sadie Rovinsky, Sarah Garston, Irving Rosenthal. Row 6: Sidney Marks, Minnie Snofsky, Esther Klimist, Rebecca Lutsky, David Bernstein, Max Perlman, Sarah Kruger, Rosalie Bliss. Row 7: Morris Schwartz, Grace Dworkin, Lola Bozokofsky, Hyman Jacobson, Cecil Bozokofsky, Helen Kassover, Sonia Gulila, Sam Weisblatt, Florence Kassover, Patricia Jacobson.
Date: 1925
Creator: Jernigan Studios
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Floating Star, Interior of Beth-El Congregation Sanctuary]

Photograph of the floating star which was suspended from the ceiling as part of the interior design of the sanctuary when Beth-El was rebuilt in 1948 after the 1946 fire. The interior designer was the Hungarian-American architect Erno Fabry.
Date: 1948
Creator: Joe Weisberg
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Ark and Bimah, main sanctuary at Beth-El Congregation]

Photograph, taken in 2000, of the "bimah" or altar in the main sanctuary at Beth-El Congregation, 207 W. Broadway, Fort Worth. The building was constructed in 1920, rebuilt in 1948 after a fire gutted the interior, and remodeled in 1981. The 1948 rebuilding and redesign were by the Hungarian-American interior designer Erno Fabry. His design ideas include the stone wall behind the altar, built with reddish Colorado travertine, the ark (which contained the Torahs) framed with gray-veined cremo-Italian marble, as well as the gate with its Art Deco design, and the copper-colored menorahs flanking the ark. In 1981, architect-designer John Mike Cohen of St. Louis oversaw a major remodeling of the sanctuary with peach carpet, chairs, and fiberglass lights resembling a flock of dove.
Date: 2000
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Beth-El Congregation's Second Synagogue]

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.
Date: 2000
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Interior of Beth-El Congregation Sanctuary]

Photograph of the interior of the second house of worship for Fort Worth's Reform Jewish congregation after being remodeled in 1981. This image was taken with the main lights turned off to show the sanctuary's 72 Castelli fiberglass lights, which evoke the imagery of a flock of doves. The stained glass in the background dates to the 1948 remodeling.
Date: 2000
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Stained Glass Window Pane of a Breastplate]

Photograph of a stained-glass window pane depicting a breastplate with twelve squares of color, representing the vestments worn by the Levites, the priestly tribe. Each of the twelve squares, colored like a precious gem, stands for one of the 12 Tribes of Israel. It is one of more than two dozen circular stained-glass discs created in 1947 for the sanctuary of Fort Worth's Temple Beth-El; most of the images were copied from a book on Jewish treasures to represent a collection of Judaica in miniature. This pane was transferred to a window in the Hall of Remembrance when Beth-El Congregation moved to 4900 Briarhaven Rd. in the summer of 2000.
Date: 1999
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Stained Glass Window Pane of a Buck]

Photograph of a stained-glass window pane depicting a deer or antelope that symbolizes the adventurous descendants of the Tribe of Naphtali. It is one of more than two dozen circular stained-glass discs created in 1947 for the sanctuary of Fort Worth's Temple Beth-El; most of the images were copied from a book on Jewish treasures to represent a collection of Judaica in miniature. This pane was transferred to a window in Beth-El's Hall of Remembrance when the congregation moved to 4900 Briarhaven Rd. in the summer of 2000.
Date: 1999
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Stained Glass Window Pane of a Bull and a Unicorn]

Photograph of a stained-glass window pane depicting two animals, a bull and a unicorn, to represent Joseph's two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh. The one-horned animal, representing the Tribe of Manasseh, roamed the wilderness in ancient Assyria and is extinct; the bull represents the Tribe of Ephraim including Ephraim and his descendants. It is one of more than two dozen circular stained-glass discs created in 1947 for the sanctuary of Fort Worth's Temple Beth-El; most of the images were copied from a book on Jewish treasures to represent a collection of Judaica in miniature.This pane was transferred to a window in Beth-El's Hall of Remembrance when the congregation moved to 4900 Briarhaven Rd. in the summer of 2000.
Date: 1999
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Stained Glass Window Pane of a Candelabra]

Photograph of a stained-glass window pane depicting a Krakow candelabra with three branches. It is one of more than two dozen circular stained-glass discs created in 1947 for the sanctuary of Fort Worth's Temple Beth-El; most of the images were copied from a book on Jewish treasures to represent a collection of Judaica in miniature. This image depicts the original candelabra created in Krakow, Poland, during the 18th century by a coppersmith. The metalwork includes a pair of frolicking deer in reference to the opening lines of Psalm 42: "As the deer pants after the water brooks, so my soul pants after thee, O God." When the congregation moved in 2000, this pane was removed and stored in the Temple Archives.
Date: 1999
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Stained Glass Window Pane of a Citron Container]

Photograph of a stained-glass window pane depicting a decorative citron container of hammered silver to symbolize the autumn harvest holiday, Succot. It is one of more than two dozen circular stained-glass discs created in 1947 for the sanctuary of Fort Worth's Temple Beth-El; most of the images were copied from a book on Jewish treasures to represent a collection of Judaica in miniature. When the congregation moved in 2000, this pane was removed and placed in the Temple Archives.
Date: 1999
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Stained Glass Window Pane of a Donkey]

Photograph of a stained-glass window pane depicting a donkey, which represents the Tribe of Issachar whose descendants had strong but servile roles. It is one of more than two dozen circular stained-glass discs created in 1947 for the sanctuary of Fort Worth's Temple Beth-El; most of the images were copied from a book on Jewish treasures to represent a collection of Judaica in miniature. This pane was transferred to a window in Beth-El's Hall of Remembrance when the congregation moved to 4900 Briarhaven Rd. in the summer of 2000.
Date: 1999
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Stained Glass Window Pane of a Lion]

Photograph of a stained-glass window pane depicting a lion to represent Judah and his tribe of brave leaders. It is one of more than two dozen circular stained-glass discs created in 1947 for the sanctuary of Fort Worth's Temple Beth-El; most of the images were copied from a book on Jewish treasures to represent a collection of Judaica in miniature. This pane was transferred to a window in the Hall of Remembrance when Beth-El Congregation moved to 4900 Briarhaven Rd. in the summer of 2000.
Date: 1999
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Stained Glass Window Pane of a Mandrake]

Photograph of a stained-glass window pane depicting the flowers of a mandrake plant, which represents Reuben. It is one of more than two dozen circular stained-glass discs created for the sanctuary of Fort Worth's Temple Beth-El; most of the images were copied from a book on Jewish treasures to represent a collection of Judaica in miniature. Biblically, the mandrake plant (fruit and roots) was believed to enhance a woman's fertility; Reuben gathered it for his mother, Leah. Leah had six children and also gave the plant to Rachel, who was barren but later conceived two sons. This pane was transferred to a window in the Hall of Remembrance when Beth-El Congregation moved to 4900 Briarhaven Rd. in the summer of 2000.
Date: 1999
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History

[Stained Glass Window Pane of a Passover Plate]

Photograph of a stained-glass window pane depicting an 18th century Passover plate engraved with scenes from the Passover song, "An Only Kid." In the center of the image is a star and a lamb; Hebrew words on the plate state, "Next year may we all be free." This is one of more than two dozen circular stained-glass discs created in 1947 for the sanctuary of Fort Worth's Temple Beth-El; most of the images were copied from a book on Jewish treasures to represent a collection of Judaica in miniature. This pane was transferred to a window in the Hall of Remembrance when Beth-El Congregation moved to 4900 Briarhaven Rd. in the summer of 2000.
Date: 1999
Creator: Lauer, Ralph
Object Type: Photograph
System: The Portal to Texas History