About the Cowl Center

The Jack and Ruthe B. Cowl Center at the National Yiddish Book Center was established in 2002 by a $1 million leadership gift from Mrs. Ruthe Cowl, a long-time friend and member of the Book Center and a prominent philanthropist and activist in her own community of Laredo, TX.

An endowed program, the Cowl Center encompasses a wide range of cultural and educational initiatives designed to strengthen Yiddish literature and culture and to enhance Jewish identity for generations to come. Its offerings include presentations about modern Jewish culture, art, literature, theatre and music. Under the aegis of the Cowl Center, scholars, writers, and artists from around the world make more than 100 presentations annually to enthusiastic, packed audiences.

Ruthe Cowl is the founder of the Ruthe B. Cowl Rehabiliation Center in Laredo, TX, a nonprofit outpatient rehabilitation center providing physical, emotional, and occupational therapy as well as day care and clinical training. Mrs. Cowl has run the clinic since 1959, serving as its non-salaried full-time executive director, and has been the recipient of major awards and recognition for her service. Her husband, the late Jack Cowl, was a philanthropist and businessman in Laredo. The couple shared a love of Jewish culture and a commitment to support cultural activities that would make a difference to the Jewish community.

At the inauguration of the Cowl Center, Book Center founder and president Aaron Lansky said, "The Cowl Center will pioneer innovative, far-reaching programs to celebrate Yiddish culture, spread Jewish literary and historical knowledge, and, over time, reshape the mainstream of American Jewish education."

For the Cowl Center's current schedule, see our Calendar of Events or contact director Nora Gerard at ngerard@bikher.org.