Betty Robbins leads Rosh Hashanah services as cantor at Temple Avodah in Oceanside, NY, widely hailed as the first female cantor in Jewish history.
On 15 September 1955, Betty Robbins (born Berta Abramson) led Rosh Hashanah services as cantor at Temple Avodah in Oceanside, New York. Her appointment and public role were widely reported at the time as making her the first female cantor in Jewish history, and later sources describe her as the first woman appointed cantor in the twentieth century.
Robbins had fled Nazi persecution from Greece and rebuilt her life in the United States, where she developed her extraordinary vocal ability and liturgical skills within Reform Judaism. In 1955, her congregation’s decision to entrust the central High Holy Day services to a woman directly challenged millennia of Jewish tradition in which the role of hazzan (cantor) was restricted to men. Contemporary coverage, including the New York Times, cautiously described her as "perhaps" the first in 5,000 years of Jewish history, reflecting both the novelty and the sensitivity of the moment.
Historically, 15 September 1955 is recognized as a barrier‑breaking milestone in religious leadership and women’s rights. Robbins’s visible, authoritative presence on the bimah expanded the possibilities for Jewish women’s ritual participation and helped pave the way for later generations of female cantors and rabbis across the Reform, Conservative, and some Reconstructionist communities. Her appointment contributed to broader mid‑century conversations about gender and religious authority, demonstrating that women could serve not only as lay leaders but also as official voices of prayer. The event remains a key reference point in timelines of American women’s firsts and in histories of Jewish liturgical innovation.