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About Our Rabbi

Rabbi Allen Schwartz became the spiritual leader of Congregation Ohab Zedek in 1988. He is an alumnus of Yeshiva College and received his Master of Arts Degree in Bible, Rabbinics and Halacha from Yeshiva University's Bernard Revel Graduate School. Rabbi Schwartz was granted Smicha from the University's affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He currently holds the Raymond J. Greenwald Chair in Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University, where he has taught since 1983, and since 2020 has been teaching in the Tanach Track at the Stern College Graduate Program in Advanced Talmud Studies for Women program.

Rabbi Schwartz and his wife Alisa moved to the Upper West Side in 1985, where he served as rabbi at Congregation Ohav Shalom before moving to the pulpit at Ohab Zedek. Rabbi Schwartz's major focus at OZ is to foster connections within and among the many different age groups and constituencies of Jews living on the Upper West Side. Rabbi Schwartz's goal for the community is to make every OZ attendee a member of the larger community family.

Rabbi Schwartz gives weekly classes on a variety of subjects at OZ and also taught fifth through eighth grades at Manhattan Day School and High School at Ramaz. He has lectured extensively for the Board of Jewish Education of New York at elementary and high schools in the New York area. Rabbi Schwartz has published curricula on Biblical themes for Jewish day schools nationally and has written Bible curricula for Yeshiva day schools and high schools. He served as President of the Council of Orthodox Jewish Organizations of Manhattan's West Side, and was the camp rabbi and educational director of Camp Morasha from 1996 to 2000 and then served as the educational director of Camp Mesora from 2002 to 2005.

Rabbi Schwartz recently published Parashah Sheleimah: Bereishis by Mosaica Press. Rabbi Schwartz has also authored a scholarly edition of the Commentary of the Rokeach to the Book of Mishlei (Proverbs), as well as his Passover Haggadah - The 4 Sons Haggadah and has recently published "Conflict Resolutions in the Early Prophets".  He has also contributed numerous chapters and articles to books and scholarly journals.

Rabbi and Alisa Schwartz have six children and sixteen grandchildren.

Wed, December 11 2024 10 Kislev 5785