Background
Schwartz was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, where he studied under Rabbi Yaakov Benzion Mendelson.
Schwartz was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, where he studied under Rabbi Yaakov Benzion Mendelson.
Since 1991 he has been the av beis din (head of the rabbinical court) of both the Beth Din of America and the Chicago Rabbinical Council as well as the rosh beth din (chief presiding judge) of the National Beth Din of the Rabbinical Council of America (Radio Corporation of America). He is also editor of HaDarom, the Radio Corporation of America Torah journal. He is a graduate of Yeshiva College and the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University, where he received his rabbinic ordination.
Following this ordination, he received a fellowship in the Institute of Advanced Rabbinic Research of Yeshiva University.
Later he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. Rabbi Schwartz was honored with the Harav Yosef Dov Halevi Soloveitchik, Joseph B. Soloveitchik Aluf Torah Award, RIETS highest honor, at Yeshiva University"s Chag Hasemicha convocation on March 23, 2014.
Before coming to Chicago in 1987, Schwartz was the rabbi of the Young Israel of Boro Park for 18 years, and afterwards held pulpits in Rhode Island, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He is a past president of the Mizrachi of Rhode Island and the Radio Corporation of America Philadelphia Region.
Their daughter, Rivka Leah, was married to the late Rabbi Yehoshua Goldman, who directed the Vaad of Cincinnati.
In 2010, Rabbi Schwartz married his current rebbetzin, Chana Sarah.