It was during this time that she met her future husband Paul Cowan, who was from a midwestern assimilated Jewish family and later became a writer and reporter for the Village Voice.
[3] In 1968, the Cowans moved to Manhattan’s Upper West Side becoming involved in the 1970s Jewish revival in their neighborhood and were active in their synagogue Ansche Chesed.
Realizing rabbis could enhance lifecycle events and provide counseling some members pursued ordination including Cowan,[4] who converted to Judaism in 1980.
[11] Pioneering efforts to integrate spiritual practices to support those who were suffering from illness or personal loss, she co-founded the Jewish Healing Center in 1990.
[3][11] Rabbi Lisa Goldstein, who succeeded Cowan at IJS from 2011 to 2019, noted "she was always a seeker, and things happened in her life to which the Jewish community had no adequate response".