Barry
Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz
Author, Teacher, Speaker
Torah for Adults, Teens and Children
BIO
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Rabbi Barry L. Schwartz serves as the spiritual leader of Congregation Adas Emuno- a 150-year-old Reform congregation in Leonia, NJ.
Rabbi Schwartz is director and editor-in-chief-emeritus of The Jewish Publication Society (JPS), the oldest Jewish press in the United States, and the preeminent publisher of the Tanakh and Jewish classics since 1888.
Rabbi Schwartz received his BA, magna cum laude, from Duke University, and his MA and rabbinical ordination from Hebrew Union College. He previously served as senior rabbi of Congregation M’kor Shalom in Cherry Hill, NJ, and began his career as the rabbi of the Leo Baeck Center in Haifa, where he also served in the Israeli army.
Rabbi Schwartz has a special passion for Jewish environmental activism, and was especially involved in the early environmental work of the CCAR and Shomrei Adamah. An avid world traveler, he has visited more than 50 countries, and enjoys hiking and cycling. And, of course, reading and writing! Rabbi Schwartz is married to Deborah A. Schwartz; they are the parents of three adult children and one adorable grandson.
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Rabbi Schwartz is a prolific writer- the author of books for adults, teens and children, a prize-winning short story, a play, a prayer book, and scholarly articles that have appeared in the Journal of Reform Judaism, American Jewish History, and the Hebrew Union College Annual.
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His textbook, Jewish Heroes, Jewish Values, has been used in over 300 religious schools nationwide for the past 20 years.
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Another textbook, Judaism’s Great Debates, was published in 2012 in both adult and student editions.
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Path of the Prophets- The Ethics-Driven Life (2018) examines the legacy of ancient Israel’s pioneers of social justice.
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His most recent children’s works include Adams’ Animals (2017), a selection of the PJ Library, The New Queen of Sheba (2020) and Jonah’s Tale of a Whale (2021).
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His latest adult book is an engaging survey of the full spectrum of modern Jewish thought today, entitled Open Judaism: A Guide for Believers, Atheists and Agnostics (2023).
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Speaking Topics
Torah for Adults, Teens and Children
Author-in-Residence
In-person and Virtual
Shabbat and Book Clubs
Confirmation and B'nai Mitzvah Programs
Religious School and Tot Programs
Call or write me today!
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About “Open Judaism: A Guide for Believers, Atheists, and Agnostics”:
The Case for Open Judaism
What We Believe: The Denominations of Contemporary Judaism
God for Atheists and Agnostics
About “Open Judaism: A Guide for Believers, Atheists, and Agnostics”:
The Case for Open Judaism
What We Believe: The Denominations of Contemporary Judaism
God for Atheists and Agnostics
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About “Path of the Prophets”:
The Prophetic Moment: From Abraham to Ezra
Speaking Truth to Power: Jewish Ethics
Forgotten Prophets
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About “Judaism’s Great Debates”:
Great Debates in Jewish History
The Excommunication of Baruch Spinoza
Three Tenors: The Founders of Modern Judaism
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Especially for Younger Children:
“Adams Animals”- A Celebration of Bio-Diversity
“Jonah’s Tale of a Whale”
“Honi-the-Circlemaker”- The Jewish Johnny Appleseed
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About Jewish Books:
The Great Books of Judaism: A History of Jewish Literacy
People of the E-Book: Jews and the Bible in the 21st Century
The Past and Future of American Jewish Bible Translation
About Jewish Thought and History:
The Rabbi’s Top Ten: The Best of Everything Jewish
Praying for our Country: A History of the Jewish Prayer for the Government
Turning Points in Jewish History
SCHOLARLY ARTICLES
“Abraham Joshua Heschel and ‘The Prophets’-A Publishing Saga”, Journal of Reform Judaism, summer 2016.
“One Earth” in Touching the Face of the Cosmos, Fordham University Press, 2016)
“Spinoza: The Secular Jew Who Transformed Judaism”, Reform Judaism, summer, 2014.
“Praying for Israel: The Liturgical Imbroglio”, Journal of Reform Judaism, summer 1991.
“Expressions of Civil Religion in Jewish Prayer for the Government”, Journal of Reform Judaism, spring 1990.
“Tohar HaNeshek (Purity of Arms): Reclaiming a Jewish Ethic in War”, Journal of Reform Judaism, summer 1988.
“Rethinking Liberal Judaism in Israel”, Journal of Reform Judaism, summer 1986.
“The Jewish Prayer for the Government in America”, American Jewish History, March, 1987.
“HaNoten T’shua- The Origin of the Traditional Jewish Prayer for the Government”, Hebrew Union College Annual, 1986.
BLOGS
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"Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Prophets: A 50th Anniversary Appreciation"
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"One Giant Leap: Reflections on the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing"
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"A New Look at the Prophets" (March 23, 2018)
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Additional Writings: visit my clergy page at Adasemuno.org:
We Need More Jewish Debate, Not Less (Blog)
The First Jewish Debate (Blog)
Where the Debate on Modern Judaism Began (Blog)
Holy Debatable (Jewish Standard Column)
Why We Need More Debates (Jewish Standard Op-Ed)
Our Sorry State of Debate (Jewish Standard Op-Ed)
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The Secular Jew Who Transformed Judaism (Reform Judaism)
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For You Were Strangers in Egypt (Jewish Standard Op-Ed)
In Every Generation: A Reading for Pesach 5778 (Jewish Standard)
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Israel at 70 (Jewish Standard Op-Ed)
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SERMONS
The Book of Life (Rosh Hashanah Evening 5773)
Community (Rosh Hashanah Morning 5773)
Judaism on Fire (Kol Nidre 5773)
Seasons of Love (Yom Kippur 5773)
Before Whom You Stand (Rosh Hashanah Evening 5772)
Memorable Judaism (Rosh Hashanah Morning 5772)
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Please visit my congregation's website for all these High Holiday sermons!
adasemuno.org
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A Sense of the Sacred (Yom Kippur 5783)
To Life, Not Death (Kol Nidre 5783)
Letter to My Grandson (Rosh Hashanah 5783)
America (Yom Kippur 5782)
Jonah (Kol Nidre 5782)
Prayer (Rosh Hashanah 5782)
Sesquicentennial (Rosh Hashanah Morning 5782)
Who Shall Live? (Rosh Hashanah Evening 5782)
Democracy Grief (Kol Nidre 5781)
Pandemic Memorium (Rosh Hashanah 5781)
The Great Extinction (Yom Kippur 5780)
You Will Be Found (Kol Nidre 5780)
Walking Together (Rosh Hashanah 5780)
So I Will Plant for My Children (Rosh Hashanah 5779)
Fifty Years Later (Kol Nidre 5779)
Here Come Moses’ Children (Yom Kippur 5779)
Our Country (Rosh Hashanah 5778)
Israel at 70 (Yom Kippur 5778)
Avinu Malkeinu (Rosh Hashanah Evening 5777)
The Ambivalent American Jew (Rosh Hashanah Morning 5777)
Finding Your Voice (Yom Kippur 5777)
The Birthday of the World (Rosh Hashanah Evening 5776)
Who Are We? (Rosh Hashanah Morning 5776)
Ancient Seeds (Rosh Hashanah Evening 5775)
Waiting for Justice (Rosh Hashanah Morning 5775)
The Day of E-tonement (Kol Nidre 5775)
Our Most Common Mistake (Yom Kippur 5775)
Letters to My Children Part 1: Education (Rosh Hashanah Evening 5774)
Letters to My Children Part 2: Identity (Rosh Hashanah Morning 5774)
Media Mentions
Please visit my congregation's website for all these media mentions!
adasemuno.org.
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Table Tennis, Anyone? (Jewish Standard)
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Chanukah and Heresy (The Jewish Week)
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Bound for Glory (Jewish Standard)
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Bonds of Faith (201 Magazine)
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Adam's Animals (Jewish Standard)
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Character Matters, The Prophets Say (Jewish Standard)
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CONTACT
856-313-8750
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My Congregation Adas Emuno page
(Sermons, Writings, Media Mentions)
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