Rabbi Swartz has also worked in the social justice field for the past decade, combining his religious training with his fervent love and respect for the environment. He recently completed two years as the Coordinator for Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light, (GWIPL) an organization which works with congregations and other religious institutions in the Washington area to address moral and practical dimensions to energy use – including how to save energy and money, how to buy clean, renewable energy, and how to educate congregants about climate change, social justice, and religious ethics.  Before coming to GWIPL, Rabbi Swartz was the Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network, where he developed and led training programs with scientific, medical, civil rights and faith-based organizations, and spoke widely on children’s environmental interests to advisory committees and public forums. He also served as Associate Director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, where he oversaw public policy development among national, state and local governmental bodies and led interfaith ethics panels on climate change and children’s health issues. Prior to that he served as Director of Congregational Relations for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism where he trained clergy and lay people in issues of social justice, interfaith activities and bioethics.

 “I have helped people find a passion for their faith because I am passionate about Judaism,” says Rabbi Swartz.  “I believe our tradition calls on us to build a world that is not only more just but also where love for our fellow human beings can blossom.”

Rabbi Swartz’s strong background in religious traditions and environmental values is reflected in his lengthy publications list.  He is the author of To Till and To Tend: A Guide for Jewish Environmental Study and Action, published by the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life.   He is also the author of “Faith Communities and Environmental Health: From Global to Local,” for which he won the 2005 Award for Excellence in Professional and Scholarly Publishing from the Association of American Publishers. Rabbi Swartz is also the author of a children’s book Bim and Bom: A Shabbat Tale. In addition to his ordination and Masters of Hebrew Letters (MHL), Rabbi Swartz holds degrees from Brown University in Geological Sciences and in Environmental Policy, both with highest honors. He has received numerous academic honors, including prizes in Scholarship and Scholastic Excellence from the Hebrew Union College, the Senior Prize in Environmental Studies from Brown, and election to both Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi. Rabbi Swartz is married to Roya Fahmy Swartz and they have one daughter, Alana, 7.