Confirmation class of 2006 standing at Beth-El Congregation, 4900 Briarhaven Rd., Ft. Worth. Over their robes, each student is wearing a prayer shawl, called a "tallit." Front Row: Religious School Director Ilana Krust, Marissa Berenson, Erin Hahn, Ace Factor Back Row: Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger, David Williams, Laura Finucane, Eli Holley

Confirmation class of 1997 standing in the main sanctuary at Beth-El Congregation, Ft. Worth. Front Row: Grant Rubinson, Ashli Rosenthal, Amanda Hollander, Michael Ferstenfeld, Education Director Claudia Rivera Back Row: Cantor Karen Webber Gilat, Russell Oshman, Alan Mecklenburger, Ethan Pew, Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger

Color photograph of the confirmation class of 1990, Beth-El Congregation, Fort Worth. Pictured from left to right, front row: education director Ellen Mack, Deborah Ferstenfeld, Chava Rousch, Andre LaMere, Carinne Wiener, Caryn Taurog, Josh Granek, Melissa Minker. Second row: Elisa Berman, Dawn Weiner, Gabriella Gluck, Rebecca Schwartz, Jackie Lederman, Mark Goldman, Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger; back row: Seth Friedman, Michael Berenzweig, Ross Cravens, Jeremy Goldman, Michael Gilbert, Greg Bogomol.

Confirmation class of 1989 standing in a synagogue at Beth-El Congregation, Ft. Worth. . Front Row: Education Director Ellen Mack, Shelly Stein (Gannot), Tyler Cohen, Sara Beth Oderberg (Thompson), Jacqueline Miller, Jessica Ross; Back Row: Brian Roper, Andy Bzostek, Hamilton Schwartz, Mark Weiner, Philip Bronstein.

Confirmation class of 1984 standing in the sanctuary at Beth-El Congregation, 207 W. Broadway, Fort Worth. Front Row: Education Director Ellen Mack, Tara Engle, Debra Rubin, Scott Sankary, Brad Greenman, Steven Black Second Row: Kellie Bowsher, Bradley Lamensdorf, Alissa Baum, Teri Kottler, Michael Margolis, Jeffrey Simon Back Row: Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger, Aimee Yentis(Garner), Amy Adelson, Brian Bihari, Curtis Sheldon, Michael Appleman, Rabbi Robert J. Schur.

Confirmation class of 1975 standing in a sanctuary at Beth-El Congregation, 207 W. Broadway, Ft. Worth. Debra Reitman, Julie Evans, Polly Boardman, Gayle Margolis, Cathy Sanford, Tami Hoffman, Shari Freed (Stein), Debby Kleiman, Rabbi Robert J. Schur, Aaron Siegel, Douglas Samson, Daniel Blumberg, Eric Rappaport, Michael Altman, Lee Denbina, Russell Feld.

Confirmation Class of 1953 standing together at Beth-El Congregation, 207 W. Broadway, Ft. Worth. Left to right: William Paul Siegel, Jeannette Rashti, R. Gordon Appleman, Linda Prinz, Marvin Breslau, Peachie Hillman (Rudberg), Rabbi Milton Rosenbaum, Sue Goldstein, Morton H. Meyerson, Rosalyn Levy (Rubin), Don Herman, Arthur Miron.

Confirmation class of 1946 standing in the sanctuary of Beth-El Congregation, 207 W. Broadway, Fort Worth. This is the last photo of the interior of the building before it was gutted by fire in the summer of 1946. Left to right: Lee Laves, Audrey Groginski, Selma Tiras, Gilbert Friedson, Miriam "Mimi" Bronstein (Klotz), Barbara Faye Cohn, Charlene Rosenthal, Samuel Gilbert, Rabbi Samuel D. Soskin, Beth-El President Raymond Cohen, Danny Glazer, Harriett Friedson, Dorothy Adler, Margot Myers (Feld), Bernard Rosenstein, Diane Soskin, Barbara Rubenstein, Jerald Blum.

Confirmation class of 1933 standing at the altar of the Beth-El Synagogue at 207 W. Broadway Ave., Fort Worth. This is the first year that the confirmands wore robes -- white for the girls and black for the boys. From left: Sylvia Levine, Jerome Holland, Lila Letwin (Tuchin), Bill Carb, Dorothy Davis, Ivan Miller, Bernice Gressman (Meyerson), Rabbi Harry Merfeld, Minette Rosenthal (Urbach), Edward Martin, Jayne Davidson (Slatkin), Bill Gilbert, Jane Gernsbacher (Meyerson), David Samson, Helen Klar (Gordon). In the background are the choir loft and pipe organ. This is one of the few photographs that show the interior of the original synagogue, which was gutted by fire in 1946.

Confirmation class of 1909, Beth-El Congregation, Fort Worth. The six girls, dressed in frilly white dresses, hold confirmation bibles and rolled-up confirmation certificates. At their feet are baskets of flowers. The four boys, standing with the rabbi at the center, hold confirmation certificates. Some of the boys have dark ties, and others, white ties. Front Row: Sara Gernsbacher, Hazel Brann, Dora Eckert (Herman), Lena Solomon (Gernsbacher) Back Row: Rufus Goldstucker, (first name?) Blumberg, Rabbi George Zepin, (first name?) Lasker, Sol Gordon.

First confirmation class of Beth-El Congregation, 1905, Fort Worth.The six girls are dressed in lacy white dresses, have large white bows in their hair, and hold bouquets of flowers. The 3 boys and the rabbi wear white ties and dark suits. Front Row: Jennie Levenson (Rosenthal), Erma Carb (Nathan), Gladys Carb (Gugenheim), Bessie Brown (Carb), Marguerite Weltman Back Row: Nathan Schulitz, Rabbi Joseph Jasin, Rose Laskin, Byron Gernsbacher, Roy Gernsbacher

Youth group flyer of the Beth-El Congregation Temple Teens Interfaith Program. "Temple Teens Interfaith Program Sunday Dec. 13th Supper Promptly Served at 6:15 Social-Meeting Youth Group of First Unitarian Church Will Join Us All Temple High School Youth Coming to Shabbos Services Friday, December 18th. "`

The Fort Worth Federation Temple Youth group gathered in the social hall of Beth-El Congregation, 207 W. Broadway, Fort Worth. Advisor Ted Hoffman is standing in the back row on the left hand side.

Consecration class of 2006 at Beth-El Congregation, Ft. Worth. Kindergarten teachers Libbe Berger; Lauren McCormick, Religious school director Ilana Knust, and Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger. The alter or "bimah" is new at the temple Beth-El, 4900 Briarhaven Rd., Fort Worth.

Consecration class of 1985, Beth-El Congregation, Ft. Worth. First row: Ben Blumberg, Henry Smith, Danny Schwartz, Emily Hoffman, Sharon Bzostek Second row: Joshua Sigman, Haley Florsheim, Joan Miller, Brian Abrams, Julia Schwartz, Lori Miller Third row:: Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger, religious school director Ellen Mack, Rabbi Robert J. Schur, 1st grade teacher Judy Bogomol

Consecration Class of 1965, Beth-El Congregation, Ft. Worth. In the back row, religious school director Lil Goldman holds a lulav, a bouquet of season greens. Rabbi Robert Schur holds the Torahs. First row: Rusty Feld, Gayle Margolis (Sondecker), Polly Boardman, Michael Altman, Cathy Sanford, Lee Denbina, Daniel Blumberg, Tami Hoffman (Jara). Second row: Bob Davis, Douglas Samson, Aaron Siegel, Julie Evans (Johnson), Daniel Krakower, Patricia Livne, Sharie Freed (Stein), Pamela Cody ( Baer), Debby Kleinman Third row: Religious school director Lilaine Goldman, 1st grade teacher Amelia Rosenstein, student aide Valerie Hall, Rabbi Robert J. Schur Not pictured: James Bennett

Consecration Class of 1951 at Beth-El Congregation in Fort Worth. Standing on the far left is Rabbi Milton Rosenbaum holding the Torah. Standing in the back is first-grade teacher Amelia Rosenstein. The consecration ushers children into their religious school studies.

Photograph of Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger of Beth-El Congregation with his wife, Ann, and Rabbi Sidney Zimelman of Congregation Ahavath Sholom Congregation with his wife, Vivian.

Photograph of Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger, his wife Ann, with Stan and Marcia Kurtz and Nobel Peace Laureate Ellie Wiesel in 2001 at Gates of Chai lecture series, Texas Christian University.

Rabbi Ralph D. Mecklenburger, spiritual leader at Beth-El Congregation,the Reform synagogue in Fort Worth.

Portrait of Rabbi Robert Schur, Beth-El Congregation, Fort Worth, taken around 1970.

Bishop John J. Cassata, first Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth, and Rabbi Robert Schur together at the Beth-El Congregation in the 1970s.

Painting of the first rabbi of Beth-El Congregation, Rabbi Solomon Philo (1842-1923). Hired on probation for $100 a month, he served the congregation for its first four months, from September through December of 1902. In the painting, he is a bearded man with white hair and waxed mustache studying from a book on a table in front of him. He wears a dark suit with a bow tie and black skull cap. There are two rings on his fingers and he is leaning on the table.

Henry and Julia Faulk Gernsbacher (1859-1935) pose for their 50th wedding anniversary photo in 1930. Henry Gernsbacher (1858-1936), a kitchen-supply merchant, was the founder of Fort Worth's Beth-El Congregation. The couple had six sons. Their family business remained in operation until the end of the century.