 In April 1883 , Baith Israel , Beth Elohim , and Temple Israel , Brooklyn 's three leading synagogues , tried to merge ; Beth Elohim and Temple Israel had both been formed in the 1860s by dissenters from Baith Israel . This was the third such attempt ; the previous two had failed when the members could not agree on synagogue ritual . The combined congregation , which would purchase new premises , would have 150 members ( only heads of households were considered members at that time ) . Members would be refunded half the purchase price of the pews in their existing buildings . The rabbis of Beth Elohim and Temple Israel were to split the offices of rabbi and cantor : Baith Israel , at the time , had no rabbi . Though this attempt also failed , in the following year the three congregations carried out combined activities , including a picnic and a celebration of the 100th birthday of Sir Moses Montefiore . 
