I was born in New York but grew up in the Washington, DC, area from age one on. In the early years my family were secular Jews, but as I approached Bar Mitzvah age, we joined a Conservative synagogue, moving to a Reform one a year and a half later, where I eventually made Bar Mitzvah. But our family was not particularly observant. We regularly celebrated Shabbat on Friday nights, attended services for the High Holidays, held annual Passover Seders and lit the candles for Chanukkah. But our family’s focus was politics. In fact, due to prejudice against Jews, still prevalent in American politics in the 1950s, my father had our names changed from Cohen to Cowen when I was two years old.

In the early 1950's my father had moved to the DC area to take a position on a Congressional staff. Over the years he held numerous positions first in the U.S. Senate, then as campaign managers of various campaigns and finally worked in the Nixon Whitehouse. My mother was an English professor at the local community college. I was a pretty happy child, did well in school and had numerous friends.
By age 15 I reached my limit on Hebrew school, finding the traditions, laws and language irrelevant to the 1960's era. Rather, I considered myself an agnostic and indulged in the experiences of the 60’s. In my junior year of high school, to the chagrin of my family, I started dating a Christian girl. Through her and others I was invited to a Christian high school group my senior year. For a couple of months I resisted going, explaining that I’d had my fill of religion, and besides Jews don’t believe in Jesus. But I finally relented on going and was deeply impacted. Through months of attending the group, reading the New Testament for the first time and discussing these issues with friends, I found that I began to believe, and my life began to change.

I assumed I was the only Jew who had ever believed this. No one told me Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) was Jewish; all his first followers were Jews or all the writers of the New Testament were Jews. I assumed he was the first Christian, and everyone who comes after him are now Christians. But God makes clear in the Scriptures that He has a plan and purpose for the Jewish people and commands them to remain unique and distinct. So, despite my new-found faith, something was still missing. I discovered the missing link the following year at college. There I met another Jewish believer who explained that we were Messianic Jews and showed through the Jewish Scriptures the many prophecies of the Messiah. Suddenly, everything made sense. I was a Jew who had found the Messiah. Unfortunately, this news was not good for my family, who reviled the idea, and sadly, years later disowned me.

From college I went to law school, and from there to Capitol Hill, where I took a position in the House of Representatives and the following year in the U.S. Senate. That same year I married my wife, Stacy. This year, 2008, will mark our 30th anniversary. While I enjoyed the Congressional work, eventually becoming Chief Counsel to a U.S. Senate subcommittee, I still felt there was something more. That something more became entering the ministry. In 1988 I enrolled in a Messianic Jewish seminary in the Washington, DC area, completing my studies in 1990. In 1990 I was installed as Rabbi of Tikvat Israel Congregation in Richmond and have been here since.

Stacy and I have three wonderful daughters, two of whom graduated from college and immigrated to Israel. Our youngest is still in college in Virginia. The congregation has grown significantly over the years, and is comprised of people from varied backgrounds and all the Jewish denominations. It’s like a large family, particularly important to me since the loss of my own family. Our congregation is part of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations, an umbrella organization of 90 Messianic Jewish congregations. I have been its president for the past 6 years.

Our future is likely linked to the nation of Israel, where we will probably immigrate in the years to come. For now, I am quite content in leading this great group.

For more information, you’re welcome to contact Rabbi Cowen at jamiecowen@comcast.net.