Mark Schwartz was born on September 15, 1950 in New York City to William and Elizabeth. He was an active member and leader in Young Judea. After completing high school, Mark came to Israel in 1968 for Young Judea Year Course and fell in love with the country. Avidly studying Hebrew, Jewish history and Zionism, he decided to make aliyah. His parents initially tried to convince him to remain in the U.S. but in the end they were the ones who were convinced to join Mark in making aliya in 1970. He began university studies in law at the Hebrew University but changed to the mechina program for medicine, in which he excelled.
Mark was drafted into the IDF in November 1970 and volunteered for the infantry. He was subsequently trained as a paramedic and assigned to the Air Force with the rank of sergeant. On October 7, 1973, during the Yom Kippur War, Mark's helicopter was shot down over Sinai. He was buried at the Kiryat Shaul Military Cemetery. He was survived by his parents, a sister and his Israeli-born wife Miriam.
