The socially progressive North American Reform Judaism religious denomination has appointed the first openly gay or lesbian person to serve as the president of its Central Conference of American Rabbis.

Founded in 1889 the central conference is the highest religious body for Reform Judaism rabbis and the Jewish denomination made Rabbi Denise L Eger its president during its annual conference in Philadelphia on Monday.

Rabbi Eger was ordained as a rabbi in 1988 – before openly gay people were officially allowed to become rabbis in Reform Judaism – though she says her classmates and some professors at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York knew of her sexuality.

‘I was very quiet about it,’ she told Philly.com ahead of her installment.

Eger told Philly.com that she had been turned down by the first synagogue that she sought a position at because of her sexuality but soon found work as a full-time rabbi at the Beth Chayim Chadashim in Los Angeles – the first LGBTI affirming synagogue recognized by Reform Judaism.

She came out publicly in an article in the LA Times in 1990.

Now 25 years later, Rabbi Eger says, ‘the Reform [Judaism] movement is celebrating a change in its policy that welcomed LBGT people.’

‘It is an amazing arc of history and speaks to the way Reform Judaism has encouraged the discernment and education that has made it possible to make the movement more inclusive.’

‘Loving your neighbor as yourself remains an overriding moral value and reminds us that we engage with another from a place of love and kindness, which are antidotes to the hate and exclusiveness of this world.’

At this year’s annual convention, Reform Judaism will also be releasing a new revised prayer book which is more inclusive of LGBTI people.

The text, which is American Judaism’s best selling prayer book, will be used during the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and includes gender neutral blessings for same-sex couples and transgender people.