Schwartz was born Avrom Moishe Schwartz in Sudylkiv, Ukraine, then in the Russian Empire, to Isaac, a grain dealer, and his wife Rose (née Bernholtz) Schwartz, a Jewish family. Moishe was the oldest of three boys among the six siblings, and had three older sisters.
Schwartz was born Avrom Moishe Schwartz in Sudylkiv, Ukraine, within the Russian Empire, to Isaac, a grain merchant, and his wife Rose (née Bernholtz) Schwartz, who came from a Jewish family. Moishe was the eldest of three boys among six siblings, with three older sisters.