 Baith Israel Anshei Emes 's move to egalitarianism culminated in August 1988 , when Debra Cantor was hired as its first female rabbi , making it the first synagogue in the Northeastern United States to be led by a woman . Cantor , who was 33 at the time , had been valedictorian of that year 's graduating class at the Jewish Theological Seminary . The decision was not accepted by all congregants ; the Conservative movement had ordained its first female rabbi , Amy Eilberg , only three years before , in 1985 , and following Cantor 's appointment a number of families left the synagogue to form B 'nai Avraham , an Orthodox congregation in Brooklyn Heights . 
