Meet Judy and Marvin Swartz
Judy and Marvin lived in Southampton, MA until they retired to Center Conway. The couple are ardent hikers and met at an outing organized by the Berkshire chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). They came to NH to hike at the AMC’s Cold River Camp in North Chatham. Marvin led hikes there for 25 years while Judy, as the sweep, took up the rear to make sure all hikers were accounted for and safe. They also did trail maintenance for the Chatham Trails Association, the AMC, and the Forest Service.
Judy was born in Holyoke, MA. On both sides of her family, her grandparents kept kosher. Her paternal Zaide helped establish the Orthodox shul in Holyoke. These paternal grandparents lived on a small farm. Judy remembers watching her Bubbe milk the cow, tend the other animals and work in the vegetable garden. Many other relatives lived in the area, and Judy fondly recalls most weekends her family spent visiting relatives.
Judy majored in American history at Mt. Holyoke College, where her mother had gone as well. After she graduated in 1963, she went to work in Washington, DC on Capitol Hill. She first worked for Senator Metcalf of Montana (an early environmentalist), then Congressman John Dow (one of the original 7 doves against the Vietnam War), and later Senator Gaylord Nelson (who organized the first Earth Day). She was a Congressional caseworker in their offices, problem-solving for constituents who asked for help. Sometimes, this was as easy as writing out a note to the appropriate federal agency. Other times, it was complicated and involved several calls to clear up what the problem might be.
Judy said of her time in DC, “The two parties worked together, and people were cordial. The way you hope it should be.” She is proud while there to have heard Martin Luther King speak at the 1963 March on Washington. In 1974, however, her father died, and Judy returned to Holyoke to be with her mother. There, she worked as a legal secretary, a job she continued throughout her adulthood.
Marvin grew up in the Boston area. He comes from an observant home and recalls regularly walking with his father to shul on the High Holidays. He attended Princeton, majored in history and minored in the classics. In 1963, he went to Yale to continue studying European history. This goal took him to London in 1965 to work on his thesis, and to Oxford in 1966. He received his PhD in 1969.
He was teaching history at U Mass Amherst when he got a call from the Holocaust Educational Foundation. The professor who had been teaching Holocaust studies had retired, and the president of the Foundation wanted him to teach the course. He demurred, saying it hadn’t been his area of study, and he suggested they ask someone else. “We’ve asked everyone else” came the reply. Somewhat chagrined, Marvin was able to parlay his willingness to be their last choice into some funding so that he could prepare for the course. As it turned out, he learned enough to teach the topic, in addition to European history, for the rest of his career.
Judy maintains that a strong sense of humor has been the magic ingredient in the couple’s marriage. When they wed, Marvin had two sons, ages 9 and 7, from a prior union. The boys came for summer vacations and regular visitations during the year. Often, the family went hiking. Their younger son Jonathan caught the bug and still regularly hikes with his own family at Cold River Camp. Judy said, “I got lucky and got two wonderful stepsons as well as a wonderful husband when we married.” Reuben, the oldest, lives in Austin, TX and works in computer software. Jonathan, who works in account analytics, lives in Williston, VT. Each son has a son and a daughter.
In retirement, the two continue to hike and help with trails, although Judy’s activity has been limited by a hip problem (recently fixed with surgery). Both volunteer at Tin Mountain Conservation Center. Marvin volunteers for the Forest Service behind the visitor information desk at the Saco Ranger Station and still maintains two trails. For the AMC, he is an information volunteer at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.
When they moved to the Conway area, the couple joined a Havurah. They also wanted to belong to a synagogue, so they joined BHC. Although it’s almost an hour drive from Conway, they have tried to come occasionally. “Zoom has been a lifesaver for us,” Marvin said. “We can attend regularly now, and we get to enjoy the traditional prayers and songs.”