Sarah Hurwitz
How YOU Can Reclaim Your Judaism
Like many American Jews, formal religious education for Sarah Hurwitz ended with her Bat Mitzvah at age 13. But after an unbelievable career as a Speechwriter for some of the nation’s most influential Democratic leaders (including Hilary Clinton, President Barack Obama, and First Lady Michelle Obama), she found herself searching for a deeper meaning in life, only to discover that Judaism held all the wisdom for which she was looking– It was Here All Along, which is what Hurwitz named her brilliant book about her Jewish journey, the focus of her deep and thought provoking conversation with Jonah in this week's episode. They tackle the problems with modern Jewish education, the disappointing internalized self-hate of some American Jews, and the miraculous power of Jewish textual study. Hurwitz also opens up about her current college speaking tour, launched just days after the October 7th Hamas attacks, and shares invaluable advice for Jewish students and parents navigating the horrific anti-Jew climate on American campuses today. Rich with valuable insight, humor, and introspection, Sarah and Jonah bring their passion for the beauty of all things Jewish to this very special episode of Being Jewish with Jonah Platt.
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FDR & The Evian Conference Regarding Jews: https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-evian-conference
Jewish Enrollment At Harvard at Historic Low: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/harvard-jewish-students-antisemitism
Sefaria (Free Online Jewish Texts & Teachings): https://www.sefaria.org/
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Host & Production Team - Host: Jonah Platt; Produced by Rainbow Creative (Executive Producer: Matthew Jones; Story Producer: Sean Leviashvili; Editor: Mike O Brien); Consulting Producer: Bethany Mandel; Research Associate: Samantha Greenwald; Executive Assistant: Josie Rothschild; Creative Associate: Rachel Stern; Social Media Manager: Yuval Yosha; Graphic Designer Noah Bell
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Monologue from this Episode
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Why Are Young Jews Anti-Israel? New York Times Bestselling Author Sarah Hurwitz Returns!
Our first returning Being Jewish guest, Sarah Hurwitz, rejoins Jonah Platt to discuss her powerful new book As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us — a work as essential as it is uplifting in a post–October 7th world. In this deeply personal and thought-provoking conversation, Sarah reflects on how education can be a true source of empowerment and shares insights from her own evolving Jewish journey. Drawing from years of research and her current pursuit of the rabbinate, she offers a rich, nuanced perspective on what it means to live — and lead — as a Jew today.
For Sarah, Judaism isn’t about any single expression — not just Israel, Hebrew, activism, or observance — but the harmony of all these threads woven together with curiosity, study and connection to the sacred wisdom of our ancient tradition. This episode feels like stepping into a vibrant, welcoming congregation — full of learning, laughter, and meaning. Don’t miss this inspiring and deeply grounding conversation on Being Jewish with Jonah Platt.
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Order Sarah's New Book Now! - https://www.sarahhurwitz.net/books/as-a-jew
Sarah Hurwitz and Jonah Platt discuss -
The Loss of Jewish Wisdom: How centuries of persecution led our ancestors to create an "edited version of Judaism" to fit into a modern, Christian-majority world.
Zionism and Israeli Culture: Confusing Zionism with the current Israeli government, and how early Zionists and modern secular Israelis also experienced a "loss" of Jewish religion and spirituality.
The Problem with Tikkun Olam: Sarah and Jonah discuss how the popular phrase Tikkun Olam (Social Justice) has been co-opted and sometimes misused by some Jews as an excuse to focus only on helping non-Jews, neglecting the Jewish community itself.
Jewish History Missing Pieces: Hurwitz stresses the need to teach the history of the 850,000 Jews who fled the Middle East and North Africa , a massive and crucial piece of the Jewish story often overlooked in American Jewish education.
