Beth-El Congregation - A Reform Synagogue Serving Metropolitan Tarrant County - Building the Jewish Future

The Rabbi's Page

The Rabbi's Page

Who Are We

Rabbi Mecklenburger came to Congregation Beth-El in 1984. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, into a family of Rabbis. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati in 1968, and was ordained upon graduation at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1972. Rabbi's wife is the former Ann Nusbaum of Canton, Ohio. Rabbi and Ann have two children. Their daughter Elissa recently graduated at the Wharton School of Business, and son Alan is attending the University of Texas in Austin.

In addition to his congregational duties, Rabbi Mecklenburger has been involved in communal affairs both locally and nationally. Our Rabbi is an adjunct faculty member at Brite Divinity School, TCU, and is the Jewish co-chair of the Texas Conference of Churches' Jewish-Christian Forum. He is on the Boards of the Day Resource Center, the Fort Worth chapter of the National Conference on Community and Justice (NCCJ), the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, and the Jewish Family Service Agency, as well as serving on the Advisory committee of the School of Social Work at U.T. Arlington. He has been a member of the Fort Worth Human Relations Commission, and is Past-President of the Southwest Association of Reform Rabbis. Nationally, Rabbi Mecklenburger appointed to the Commission on Religious Living of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, has served on the Board of Central Conference of American Rabbis. He is currently on the North American Board of the Association of Reform Zionists of America/World Union for Progressive Judaism and on the national board of NCCJ.

Rabbi Mecklenburger's articles, sermons (he is known for outstanding pulpit oratory), and poetry have been published in many periodicals, among then The Journal of Reform Judaism, The Journal of Reform Zionism, The American Rabbi, Religious Studies Review, The Presbyterian Outlook, The Christian Century, Midstream, Compass, The Jewish Spectator, and The Orchard.

In 1986, the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth recognized Rabbi with the Leon and Fay Brachman Young Leadership Award, in 1988; the Fort Worth Star-Telegram named him one of the community's "Movers and Shakers", and in 1992, the local B'nai B'rith Chapter named Rabbi Mecklenburger as the "Jewish Man of the Year."

Rabbi Mecklenburger's articles, sermons (he is known for outstanding pulpit oratory), and poetry have been published in many periodicals, among then The Journal of Reform Judaism, The Journal of Reform Zionism, The American Rabbi, Religious Studies Review, The Presbyterian Outlook, The Christian Century, Midstream, Compass, The Jewish Spectator, and The Orchard.

In 1986, the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth recognized Rabbi with the Leon and Fay Brachman Young Leadership Award, in 1988; the Fort Worth Star-Telegram named him one of the community's "Movers and Shakers", and in 1992, the local B'nai B'rith Chapter named Rabbi Mecklenburger as the "Jewish Man of the Year."