Schwartz was born and raised in Haifa as the only child of Holocaust survivors. He attended both Yavne High School (Hebrew: בית ספר יבנה) and the Reali School (Hebrew: בית הספר הריאלי) alternately, and was an active member of the Bnei Akiva youth movement. He continued his studies at Yeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh,2 where he authored several articles on the thought of Rabbi David Cohen (known as "The Nazir").3
In 1986, Schwartz began his studies at Bar-Ilan University. During his second year, he was unexpectedly appointed to teach three courses in place of an ailing lecturer. Approximately four years after commencing his academic studies, he completed his doctoral dissertation under the supervision of Professor Abraham Noriel, entitled "The Philosophical–Religious Thought of Rabbi Samuel ibn Seneh Zarza". He later served as the head of the Department of Jewish Philosophy at Bar-Ilan University and as the dean of its Faculty of Humanities.4
Schwartz has authored over 30 books and around 200 articles. His work spans a wide range of periods in Jewish thought—from medieval thinkers to modern Jewish philosophy and postmodern perspectives. His primary research interests include medieval Jewish philosophy, the thought of Religious Zionism, and Chabad Hasidism, among others.56
Some of his innovative ideas initially sparked controversy but were later embraced in academic circles. For example, his assertion that Rabbi Kook’s thought should be understood as part of an intellectual circle—including his close disciples (his son Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook, Rabbi David Cohen, and Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Charlap)—challenged the prevailing view at the Hebrew University, which maintained that Rabbi Kook's ideas should be considered separately from those of his followers. In his writings, Schwartz generally seeks to identify a common ideological denominator among various thinkers and eras to better understand their contributions.
In his books and articles on Religious Zionism, Schwartz argues that a deep understanding of the movement requires familiarity with its theological roots and early thinkers.7 He has also extensively examined the thought of Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveitchik and currently heads the chair for teaching his thought at Bar-Ilan University.8
Schwartz lives in Givat Shmuel with his wife, Gila, and their six children.9
Schwartz has authored over 30 books and around 200 articles.16
Article title[usurped] https://web.archive.org/web/20160213211156/http://www.emetprize.org/%D7%94%D7%96%D7%95%D7%9B%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%91%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%A1/%D7%9E%D7%93%D7%A2%D7%99-%D7%94%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%97/%D7%9E%D7%97%D7%A9%D7%91%D7%AA-%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%90%D7%9C/%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A4-%D7%93%D7%91-%D7%A9%D7%95%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%A5/ ↩
"Schwartz Dov – Department of Jewish Philosophy". jphilosophy.biu.ac.il. 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2023-03-20. https://jphilosophy.biu.ac.il/en/node/569 ↩
"פרופ' דב שוורץ". פרסי ישראל (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 2025-01-01. Retrieved 2025-02-24. http://web.archive.org/web/20250101155148/https://israel-prize.education.gov.il/israel-prize-recipients/pras-israel-catalog/dov-shvartz/ ↩
"פרס א.מ.ת. | פרס האמנות, המדע והתרבות". emetprize.com. Retrieved 2025-02-24. https://emetprize.com/award-page/2/133 ↩
http://humanities1.tau.ac.il/zionism/templates/ol_similu/files/israel16/Israel16_schwartz.pdf http://humanities1.tau.ac.il/zionism/templates/ol_similu/files/israel16/Israel16_schwartz.pdf ↩
"Prof. Dov Schwartz". www.biu.ac.il. 2019-06-16. Archived from the original on 2019-06-16. https://web.archive.org/web/20190616220104/https://www.biu.ac.il/HU/centers/solo-kat.htm ↩
"פרס על מחשבת ישראל לפרופ' משה הלברטל ודב שוורץ" (in Hebrew). https://www.haaretz.co.il/misc/2001-05-17/ty-article/0000017f-f49c-ddde-abff-fcfda0d70000 ↩
Inbari, Motti (2019-01-01). "Book Review: Religious Zionism and the six-day war Sagi and Schwartz". H-Net. https://www.academia.edu/39879690/Book_Review_Religious_Zionism_and_the_six_day_war_Sagi_and_Schwartz ↩
Inbari, Motti. "Review to Religious Zionism and the Six-Day War: From Realism to Messianism". https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showpdf.php?id=54129 ↩