Just Jew It! How YOU Can Reclaim Your Judaism with Author Sarah Hurwitz

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. Stay Connected Subscribe to the audio podcast: https://beingjewishwithjonahplatt.transistor.fm/subscribe Subscribe to the video podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@BeingJewishPodcast Follow Jonah on Instagram @jonahplatt :https://www.instagram.com/jonahplatt/ Follow the Show on Instagram @beingjewishpodcast: https://www.instagram.com/beingjewishpodcast/ Join the conversation on Twitter: https://x.com/JonahPlatt TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@beingjewish All things Jonah: www.JonahPlatt.com 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, and Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated on future episodes of Being Jewish! Mentioned in Episode FDR & The Evian Conference Regarding Jews https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-evi… Jewish Enrollment At Harvard at Historic Low https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/harvard-… Sefaria (Free Online Jewish Texts & Teachings) https://www.sefaria.org/ 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 02:24 Sarah Hurwitz's Jewish Identity 05:27 Jewish Wisdom and Education 09:42 Experiences on College Campuses 19:34 Speechwriting Career Beginnings 21:40 Working with the Obamas 24:34 Michelle Obama's Silence on October 7th 25:51 Here All Along: The Book 28:42 Ethical Sensitivity in Judaism 30:02 Teaching Jewish Values to Children 30:51 The Importance of Jewish Ethical Texts 31:51 Jewish Traditions and Practices 34:02 The Role of Shabbat 36:02 Infusing Life with Jewish Meaning 37:51 The Power of Jewish Study 44:46 Writing and Teaching Judaism 47:49 Reclaiming Jewish Identity 54:47 Lightning Round and Conclusion