The first time I met Henry Shwirtz’s full family was when they picked me up for a Bar Mitzvah. To this day it was the most entertaining car ride I’ve ever been in: They were playfully punching each other every time they saw an out-of-state license plate and cracking jokes about each other at every chance they got. At school, he’s much the same as his family. As the youngest of four siblings, he is always energetic and outgoing. He’ll definitely let you know what he’s thinking, even at the most inopportune moments.
Henry, currently a seventh grader, ended up at JLA because of his mom’s persistence to get Henry a better education. “At my former school they didn’t have the best teachers in middle school, so we looked for a more challenging education here.” JLA fit all of Henry’s family’s criteria for school: a challenging curriculum, Jewish education, and close to home.
Henry Shwirtz is a man of sports, a little bit of school, and more sports. He can play almost any sport that doesn’t involve a racket. Between different school teams and his travel baseball team–the Miami Beach Warriors–Henry has a different sport Monday through Friday. “We play at Grapeland Park, which is by the Miami International airport. We also plan on doing some tournaments when we can.” His favorite hobbies involve more sports, like playing couch football or ping pong with his brother. “I’m crazy at ping pong,” Henry said.
Henry can also whip up an argument in no time. For example “the Dallas Cowboys should not have the title of ‘America’s Team.’ This is an outrageous title to give to any team, but especially when that team isn’t even the best.” Henry said, and continued to explain that the best team is the Pittsburgh Steelers. “They have the most Super Bowls in history, tied with the New England Patriots. The Steelres have a way of playing that is very traditional and it’s all about hard work. Their name is honoring the hard work of American people.” If you couldn’t guess, Henry is a Steelers fan.
Henry embodies all the values that JLA wants to inculcate in its students. His extroverted spirit, passion for sports, and dedication to academics make him an important part of the JLA community.
