Herbert Nathan Schwartz

04/13/1943 - 11/22/2025

Rabbi Herbert Nathan Schwartz, 82, died peacefully at his home on November 22, 2025. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, with whom he shared 60 years of marriage.
Rabbi Schwartz was the beloved father of Doniel Schwartz (Joanna), Alisa Silverman (Adam), and Rachel Rubin (Robert). He leaves behind grandchildren Gabriela Lewis (Stephen), Amalia Rubin (Brian), Abe and Aden Silverman, and Abby and Hannah Chaikin, and great-granddaughter Hannah Lewis. He is also survived by his brother, Robert Schwartz (Judy) of Chicago, his sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Mira and Rabbi Lee Levine of Israel, and many nieces and nephews.
Rabbi Schwartz was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, and attended college at the University of Michigan, before entering the Jewish Theological Seminary. There he met Sharon, the love of his life.
Over his career, Rabbi Schwartz served the Jewish communities of Ohev Tzedek (Youngstown, OH), B'nai Jeshurun (Cleveland, OH), Temple Beth El (Springfield, MA), and later as a mentor to rabbis at Adas Israel (Washington, DC). He was beloved for using his pulpit to champion civil rights, racial justice, and health-care equity.
A committed advocate for social justice, he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in the mid-1960s, traveled to the Soviet Union in the 1970s to support the Russian Jewish community, supported needle-exchange initiatives during the AIDS crisis, and assisted Russian Jewish resettlement in the 1980s. He dedicated his life to building a more just and compassionate society.
Despite his public commitments, Rabbi Schwartz treasured time with his family, especially their annual summer gatherings on Cape Cod. These vacations—filled with beach days, bike rides, Shabbat dinners, and sunsets over Cape Cod Bay—were among his most cherished moments.
Rabbi Schwartz will be remembered for his moral courage, his deep compassion, and his unwavering commitment to justice, family, and the Jewish people. Funeral services will be held at Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC, at noon on Monday, November 24. Donations in his honor are welcome to Temple Beth El in Springfield, MA and Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC.