DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker records about Congregation Ahavath Sholom in Fort Worth, Tarrant County. Now, some stories start with a name that tells you everything you need to know. Ahavath Sholom — Love of Peace.
That's what they called it when Fort Worth's very first Jewish congregation came together in 1892. And if you're going to build something meant to last, well, that's not a bad foundation to build it on. William Goldstein stepped up as the congregation's first president.
And just one year after organizing, in 1893, they had themselves a synagogue — a wooden structure standing at the corner of Hemphill and Jarvis Streets. A humble start. But humble starts have a way of going somewhere.
And go somewhere it did. By 1901, that wooden building had been relocated to downtown Fort Worth — 819 Taylor Street. The congregation kept growing, and growing congregations have a way of demanding more room.
So in 1906, a brick structure went up at that same Taylor Street site. Brick. Because wood had done its job, and now it was time to build for the long haul.
Then in 1914, right next door, they added a building to house the congregation's Hebrew Institute. A community hub growing room by room, year by year. The very next year, 1915, the Institute's Ladies Auxiliary was organized — and Mrs.
Sam Rosen was its first president. That auxiliary got to work right away, sponsoring a Sunday school and lending a hand to charity organizations around the city. Now here's a detail worth pausing on.
When the world went to war — both times — the Hebrew Institute opened itself up as a community center for military personnel. World War One. World War Two.
That building served Fort Worth and served this country, quietly and steadily, the way good institutions tend to do. In 1944, the Men's Club was organized, with Maurice Rabinowitz as president, carrying forward the congregation's cultural, social, and athletic life. And still, Ahavath Sholom kept moving.
In 1952, a new synagogue was erected at the corner of 8th and Myrtle Streets and dedicated with all the ceremony that kind of milestone deserves. Then again, in 1980, a synagogue was constructed at the site where the marker stands today. Locations changed.
Decades stacked up. But that congregation — organized in 1892 with a name meaning Love of Peace — never stopped being the focal point for the religious observances of its people. Some things you build out of wood.
Some out of brick. And some, it turns out, you build out of something that outlasts them both.
What the marker says
Recognized as Fort Worth's first Jewish congregation, Congregation Ahavath Sholom, meaning "Love of Peace", was organized in 1892. William Goldstein served as its first president. The first synagogue, a wooden structure built in 1893 and located at the corner of Hemphill and Jarvis Streets, was relocated to downtown Fort Worth (819 Taylor Street) in 1901. Subsequent growth in the congregation's membership led to the construction of a brick structure at the Taylor site in 1906. An adjoining building, which housed the congregation's Hebrew Institute, was built in 1914. The Institute's Ladies Auxiliary, organized in 1915, sponsored a Sunday school and assisted charity organizations. Mrs. Sam Rosen was its first president. The Institute served as a community center for military personnel during World Wars I and II. The Men's Club, organized in 1944 with Maurice Rabinowtz as president, develops cultural, social, and athletic interests. A new synagogue, erected at the corner of 8th and Myrtle Streets, was dedicated in 1952. A synagogue was constructed at this site in 1980. Although the location of the synagogue has changed, it continues to be the focal point for the religious observances of the congregation. (1993)