Ezra Schwartz was born on October 1, 1997, to Ruth and Ari Schwartz. He was described as larger than life, passionate, warm, concerned, involved, caring, self-motivated, loyal. Ezra Schwartz at 18, was all that and more. Hailing from Sharon, Massachusetts, he was a graduate of Maimonides School in Brookline and was spending his gap year studying at Ashreinu Yeshiva in Beit Shemesh. Ezra had the ability to reach out and draw in everyone around him with his amazing personality, his quirky lovable antics, his serious moments when he connected with people, his acceptance of challenges, his involvement in baseball and his passion for the Patriots and football, his summers at Camp Yavneh, his concern for his friends, his identification with Judaism and Israel, and most importantly, his love of family. All these qualities added up to a person who accomplished so much in his short lifetime. Ezra lived in the here and now in everything he did – his studies, his sports, his team spirit. Everyone he touched had an Ezra story.
On November 19, 2015, Ezra Schwartz on his way to bring snacks to IDF soldiers along with fellow students on the Ashreinu program. When the van they were in reached the Alon Shvut junction a Palestinian armed with a machine gun opened fire, killing 3 people including Ezra.
He is survived by his parents Ari and Ruth Schwartz, four siblings, and his grandparents.
On December 3, 2021, the Ezra Schwartz Memorial Baseball Field was dedicated in Ra'anana. A project of the Israel Association for Baseball (IAB). is only the
second regulation baseball diamond in the country. Ezra is also memorialized with the annual Ezra Schwartz Baseball Tournament through his high school alma mater, as well as scholarships through Camp Yavneh in New Hampshire, where he was a longtime camper and later a beloved counselor. The Ezra Schwartz Memorial Fund was established at Striar Hebrew Academy of Sharon so that no child can be denied a Jewish education because of finances.
