1) What qualities make the nominee deserving of the Z3 Bridge Builder Award?

Charlie Schwartz is a bold visionary, educator, and community builder reimagining Jewish life for the 21st century. As the co-founder of Lehrhaus—the world’s first Jewish tavern and beit midrash—he has created a space where Jewish diversity is celebrated through culinary offerings and diverse learning opportunities—whether over a page of Talmud, a delicious meal, or, more often, both.

Lehrhaus draws thousands each month: Jews of all backgrounds, seekers, skeptics, interfaith families, observant Jews, and non-Jews curious about Jewish life. As one visitor, Rachel T., put it: “It is so refreshing and hopeful to walk into such a pluralistic, vibrant, information-rich, friendly Jewish space... Lehrhaus reminds us of how much more there is to us as a people.”
At a recent Shabbat dinner with Harvard Hillel, students from across the political spectrum shared a meal together. Rabbi Jason Rubenstein said: “We found a way—not just an idea, but a place and food and a way of being—that could hold and soften all of our conflicts and contradictions.” That’s Lehrhaus: a space where divides are bridged, and community is built with joy.

Even the menu is an expression of Jewish learning—laid out like a Talmud page, with dishes at the center and commentary around the margins. The menu draws inspiration from Jewish communities across the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe. When diners are served amba, a fermented mango sauce, the staff explain how it traveled with the Iraqi Jewish community. At Lehrhaus, hospitality isn’t a backdrop to learning—it is learning. Every plate tells a story.

By offering a space where Jews and non-Jews engage in shared Jewish experiences together, Lehrhaus builds bridges of mutual respect, appreciation, and understanding. Every event is an opportunity to showcase the richness of Jewish traditions while breaking down barriers of ignorance and prejudice. Lehrhaus doesn’t just fight antisemitism—it offers a compelling vision of what a joyous, inclusive Jewish future can look like.

Lehrhaus has received national acclaim— Esquire (America’s Best New Restaurants of 2023, the first kosher restaurant ever on the list), The Boston Globe, Resy’s 50 Most Exciting Restaurants.
Professor Jon Levisohn of Brandeis University said it best: “Other Jewish institutions celebrate Jewish diversity... but no other institution I know of is quite so aggressive about the display and enactment of Jewish diversity as Lehrhaus. This is not performative diversity; this is deep appreciation for the wide range of Jewish cultures as they have existed around the world and over time.”

Charlie’s bold vision speaks to the broader cultural landscape, offering a proud, radically hospitable Jewish presence in the public square. That’s bridge-building of the highest order.

2) In what ways has the nominee demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment to their work in bridging divides?

Charlie Schwartz exemplifies visionary leadership and deep commitment to Jewish community-building. He took a wild idea—that a tavern could be a sanctuary for Jewish learning and connection—and built it into one of Boston’s most dynamic Jewish institutions. His leadership style is creative, generous, and grounded in radical openness.

Charlie’s commitment to bridging divides is not abstract; it is embedded in the DNA of Lehrhaus. He is not simply teaching Jewish text—he’s creating infrastructure for a new kind of Jewish public space, where people meet across lines of identity, practice, ideology, and background. At Lehrhaus, the atmosphere is both intellectually serious and culturally vibrant, inviting everyone—from scholars to seekers—to encounter Jewish life in deeply accessible and meaningful ways.

As Professor Debra Kaufman, a sociologist of Jewish identity, observed: “Lehrhaus provides a space for those with strong Jewish identity ties but not necessarily to religion... to mingle with others... surrounded by the most important Jewish texts and contemporary works.”

Charlie’s leadership is also marked by mentorship and partnership. He has made Lehrhaus not only a community hub but a platform, attracting national and local partner organizations. He builds ecosystems, not empires—uplifting other educators, rabbis, artists, and cultural voices. From the outset, Lehrhaus has been a platform, not just a project. Charlie has opened its calendar, classrooms, and community to collaborations with over 60 local and national partners, ensuring Lehrhaus reflects a wide and inclusive tapestry of Jewish life.

That platform has proven magnetic. In just two years, Lehrhaus has welcomed over 50,000 people through its doors, drawn nearly 10,000 participants to educational programs, and offered close to 600 classes. These outcomes are not only about volume—they reflect depth. The Net Promoter Scores for Lehrhaus classes consistently rank at the highest level—“outstanding”—and internal surveys show that programming makes participants feel more informed, engaged, and connected to Jewish life.

His leadership is also deeply personal. Charlie can often be found behind the bar, welcoming guests, answering questions, or discussing the Talmud over a cocktail. This model of hospitality and accessibility is itself a form of bridge-building—dissolving barriers between rabbi and participant, insider and outsider, teacher and learner. He leads by showing that Jewish life can be joyful, communal, and intellectually rigorous—all at once.

He also leads visibly and courageously. In a moment when some Jewish institutions have responded to rising antisemitism with caution or retreat, Charlie has taken the opposite approach. Lehrhaus is unapologetically public, Jewish, and joyful. As he told the Boston Globe, “We’re saying no—Judaism is an integral part of the story of the U.S.… We want people to encounter the best Judaism has to offer: welcomeness, stories, warmth, and love.”

Visitors return not because Lehrhaus is flashy, but because it’s deeply meaningful. Charlie has built something that feels simultaneously ancient and completely new—and his commitment to making Jewish life accessible, joyful, and connective is what makes him an exceptional bridge builder.

3) How has the nominee's work impacted the Jewish community and beyond?

Charlie Schwartz’s work has redefined how people engage with Jewish life—locally and nationally. Lehrhaus has become a home for many on the margins: interfaith families, cultural Jews, newcomers, seekers, and non-Jewish guests. People come for a meal or a class and leave feeling connected to something deeper.

This is not hypothetical—it’s measurable. Internal surveys show that over 92% of respondents report feeling more connected to Jewish life, culture, and people after visiting Lehrhaus, and over 75% say they’ve had conversations there that they wouldn’t have had anywhere else. One guest shared: “I still cannot believe you exist. I feel safe and a sense of belonging every time I enter.” Another wrote: “I’ve learned so much and have never felt more connected to my Judaism.” Others describe Lehrhaus as “a Jewish home” and “a space that filled the gap created by aging out of other institutions.” As one participant put it: “Lehrhaus represents Jewish learning in a way I’ve always idealized—but never thought I could access as an adult.”
This kind of engagement is not incidental—it is the direct result of Charlie’s intentional leadership and vision. Lehrhaus creates a space where joy, text, and cultural expression meet—drawing in people across generations, denominations, and identities. One night at Lehrhaus might feature queer Jewish poetry, another a class on Mizrahi history, another a Shabbat dinner where politically opposed students share a meal. These are not theoretical touchpoints—they are real moments of shared experience and mutual respect. Lehrhaus has become a public square for meaningful Jewish life.

And the ripple effects are growing. Lehrhaus has already garnered national attention as a model for reimagining Jewish communal space. Charlie’s vision is to open Lehrhaus locations across the U.S.—and eventually in Israel. Cities including Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and the Bay Area have all expressed interest in bringing Lehrhaus to their communities. His goal is nothing short of creating a national network of joyful, inclusive, text-rich Jewish gathering spaces that reshape how Jews and their neighbors experience Judaism in the public square.

Lehrhaus is no longer just a single location—it is becoming a movement. Charlie’s leadership is fostering not only a deeper connection but also the possibility of replicable transformation across the Jewish world. By creating a space that is joyful, rooted in tradition, and open to all, Charlie is shaping a more connected, curious, and celebratory Jewish community and Jewish future.