Zach Schwartz is thrilled to join the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine as the Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council. A graduate of Columbia University, he previously served as Program Director and Marketing Manager at Refresh Collective in Cleveland, OH, where he advocated to policymakers, coordinated with media, and built an acclaimed year-round leadership program for young adults in underserved neighborhoods. With diverse experiences in Jewish communities—ranging from studying Torah with Ammud (Jews of Color) to participating in the “Chidon Ha-Tanach” (National Bible Contest) in Israel to teaching at an Orthodox yeshiva—Zach is passionate about building bridges both within the Jewish community and beyond. In his free time, he enjoys learning French, cooking Asian food, and taking long hikes in nature.