Marc Maxwell
Marc Maxwell is an American architect and community leader based in Boston, Massachusetts. Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, in a Reform Jewish household, he was educated in diverse public schools and maintained strong ties to Jewish religious and communal life from an early age. He moved to Boston in 1981 to pursue graduate studies in architecture and urban planning and went on to establish and lead his own architectural firm, specializing in multifamily and senior housing, for more than three decades. Maxwell was a longtime partner and later husband to David, with whom he shared over thirty years of life and community involvement until David’s death in 2014. Together, they became active in Boston’s Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities, contributing to early advocacy efforts through organizations such as Am Tikvah and Keshet, and participating in initiatives including a speakers’ bureau that engaged Jewish congregations on LGBTQ+ inclusion. At Temple Israel of Boston, Maxwell and his partner were among the first openly gay couples to join the congregation as a family, helping expand LGBTQ+ inclusion within the congregation. Over time, Maxwell held multiple leadership roles, including serving as president, and contributed to the institution’s governance, facilities management, and social justice work. His broader advocacy included involvement in marriage equality efforts in Massachusetts and work addressing discrimination in senior housing, particularly for LGBTQ+ individuals and those living with HIV/AIDS.
Maxwell reflects on his upbringing in Cincinnati, Ohio, his education in architecture and urban planning, and his long career running his own architectural firm, including work in multifamily and senior housing. He talks about his involvement in Jewish and LGBTQ+ communities from the late 1970s through the present. He discusses early activism alongside his partner David, including participation in Am Tikvah, the development of a speakers’ bureau to engage Jewish congregations on LGBTQ+ inclusion, and later involvement with Keshet. He details their efforts to navigate and expand inclusion within Temple Israel of Boston, where they joined as one of the first openly gay couples, helped build an LGBTQ+ presence within the congregation, and contributed to its leadership and governance. Maxwell also describes his role in broader advocacy efforts, including participation in marriage equality movements in Massachusetts, experiences surrounding his own marriage at Temple Israel, and work addressing discrimination in senior housing, particularly for LGBTQ+ individuals and those living with HIV/AIDS. He reflects on the impact of visibility, community engagement, and institutional participation as forms of activism.
The views expressed in these interviews are solely those of the speakers and do not reflect the positions of JWA or its affiliates.
