Rabbi Wendy Pein made local history earlier this month on her first day of work at Adat Chaverim, the Reform Jewish synagogue in Plano.

Though hardly the first female rabbi in the area, a range of informed sources identify her as the first to head a North Texas congregation on a full-time basis.

She's willing to talk about that distinction, and about the progress female rabbis have made generally. But she'd rather discuss what she sees as her good fortune in connecting with Adat Chaverim.

"Adat Chaverim means community of friends, and that's exactly what I found there as I went through the interview process," said Rabbi Pein (rhymes with Spain). "They're committed to each other, and to the temple. For a leader, it's so inspirational."

The first female rabbi in the United States was ordained in 1972 at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, which serves the Reform movement. Since then, HUC-JIR has ordained more than 550 women as rabbis.

Conservative Judaism began to have female rabbis in 1985, and there are now more than 200 Conservative female rabbis in the United States. In mainline Protestant denominations, some female pastors use the term "stained-glass ceiling" to describe their difficulty in getting hired to lead churches, particularly large ones.

Women rabbis have faced that same reality, and have come into the field as job opportunities outside a congregation setting – such as teaching, chaplaincy, and serving other Jewish organizations – have expanded.

Though female rabbis have held staff positions in North Texas since at least 1980, and though Rabbi Heidi Coretz oversees the Hillels of North Texas (the local college Jewish groups), Rabbi Pein has broken a modest barrier in becoming spiritual leader of Adat Chaverim.

Adat Chaverim (pronounced ah-DAT hah-vair-EEM) was founded in 1997. Now it is home to 200 families, and it has its own synagogue and religious school.

Barry Skolnick, who led the 12-member search committee that recommended hiring Rabbi Pein, noted that it's a youthful congregation, one that embraces innovation.

"They don't want to do the old traditional stuff, what their grandparents did," Mr. Skolnick said.

Rabbi Pein spent her formative years in Phoenix and was heavily involved in Jewish life there. At Stanford University, she found a role model in Rabbi Elka Abrahamson, on staff at a congregation in nearby San Mateo, Calif.

"I knew women could be rabbis, but she was the first one I had actually met," Rabbi Pein, 38, said.

"She inspired me, and encouraged me to apply to rabbinical school."

After attending HUC-JIR and becoming ordained in 1997, Rabbi Pein had various clergy jobs, including serving the past five years as associate rabbi of a congregation in Rye, N.Y.

Mr. Skolnick said gender was not a consideration as the committee evaluated candidates and recommended that the congregation vote to hire Rabbi Pein, something it did June 10 by an overwhelming margin.

But Mr. Skolnick is very glad his new rabbi is a she.

"The fact that Rabbi Pein is an extremely vibrant woman, who brings a great woman's view to the pulpit, is a huge plus for us," Mr. Skolnick said.