▁its ▁religious ▁school , ▁and ▁over ▁ 1 8 0 ▁children ▁in ▁its ▁early ▁child hood ▁programs . ▁ ▁R abb is ▁ ▁The ▁syn agog ue ' s ▁first ▁ra bbi ▁was ▁Samuel ▁Isa acs , ▁who ▁spoke ▁English , ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁such ▁rabb is ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁firm ▁ad her ent ▁of ▁Orth odox ▁J uda ism , ▁and ▁retired ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 . H is ▁fun eral ▁at ▁the ▁syn agog ue ▁the ▁following ▁year ▁was ▁the ▁largest ▁Jewish ▁fun eral ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century . ▁ ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁it ▁was ▁led ▁by ▁Rab bi ▁Frederick ▁de ▁S ola ▁M endes ▁( who ▁also ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Y M HA ▁during ▁his ▁ten ure ), ▁and ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁it ▁was ▁led ▁by ▁Rab bi ▁Nathan ▁Stern . ▁▁▁ ▁Rab bi ▁Bernard ▁B am berger ▁was ▁the ▁ra bbi ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 1 . ▁He ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁Central ▁Conference ▁of ▁American ▁R abb is , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁World ▁Union ▁for ▁Progress ive ▁J uda ism . ▁ ▁Rab bi ▁Philip ▁Sch ech ter ▁was ▁then ▁ra bbi ▁at ▁the ▁syn agog ue ▁for ▁a ▁short ▁time . ▁He ▁was ▁fired ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁by ▁a ▁vote ▁of ▁ 1 4 4 – 1