Herbert Schwartz

Rabbi Herbert Nathan Schwartz passed away peacefully in his home on November 22. He was surrounded with the boundless love that defined his life, especially that of his beloved wife Sharon, with whom he shared a remarkable 60-year marriage and incredible love story.

Rabbi Herb Schwartz was the cherished father of Doniel Schwartz (Joanna), Alisa Silverman (Adam), and Rachel Rubin (Rob). To his grandchildren Gabriela Lewis (Stephen), Amalia Rubin (Brian), Abe and Aden Silverman, Abby and Hannah Chaikin, he was a grandfather larger than life, a source of wisdom, compassion, and pride. He is also survived by his great-granddaughter, Hannah Maya Lewis, whose smile brought him immense joy. He leaves behind his brother Robert Schwartz (Judy) of Chicago, his brother and sister-in-law Rabbi Lee and Mira Levine of Israel, along with a devoted family of nieces and nephews who loved him deeply.

Throughout his life, Rabbi Schwartz charted his own unique path. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, he attended the University of Michigan to study urban planning. However, a passion for social justice through a Jewish lens drew him to the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City in the 1960s, where his extraordinary partnership with Sharon began shortly after he entered JTS. How he journeyed from urban planning to the rabbinate remains, as his family often says, one of the great mysteries—and delights—of his life.

During his decades of service as a pulpit rabbi, Rabbi Schwartz served with devotion, integrity, and moral courage at Ohev Tzedek (Youngstown, OH); B’nai Jeshurun (Cleveland, OH); Temple Beth El (Springfield, MA); and later as a mentor, teacher, and cherished friend to the rabbis of Adas Israel Congregation (Washington, DC). His rabbinate was a platform for justice, where he used his voice, his presence, and his convictions to advocate for civil rights, racial justice, health-care equity, and compassion across communities.

Rabbi Schwartz marched with Dr. King and Rabbi Heschel in the mid-1960s. He traveled on a mission to the Soviet Union in the 1970s to support the revival of the Russian Jewish community. He publicly advocated for the needle-exchange movement during the AIDS crisis in the late 1980s, actively championed Russian Jewish relocation to his Springfield community, and creatively inspired a lifelong love of Jewish learning in his communities. His moral clarity, his courage, and his enormous heart touched countless lives.

Yet for all his public commitments, his most cherished moments were those spent with his family. Each summer, the Schwartz family gathered for two precious weeks on Cape Cod—time carved out of his demanding responsibilities and treasured by his children and grandchildren. These were the days of long bike rides from Truro to Provincetown, drafting sermons on the beach, Shabbat dinners on the back porch, and endless conversations framed by sunsets over Cape Cod Bay. Those summers became the heartbeat of the family story.

Rabbi Herbert Nathan Schwartz lived a life defined by love, justice, and devotion—to his family, his community, and the world he believed could always be made better. His memory will forever be a blessing to all who were fortunate enough to know him.

Funeral services will be held at Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC, at noon on Monday, November 24. Donations are welcome to Temple Beth El in Springfield, MA and Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC.