Sarah Hurwitz still writes, but instead of keynote addresses and ceremonial remarks, she uses her research and writing skills to educate about Jewish identity and antisemitism.
The senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama in 2009 and 2010, and head speechwriter for Michelle Obama, Hurwitz visited Washington Hebrew Congregation on Jan. 13 to discuss the history of antisemitism and how that history often differs from common belief.
“ … Antisemitism is not some mystical, eternal force that’s baked into the order of the universe,” she wrote in a statement to Washington Jewish Week. “It’s generated by human beings and has a very clear history over many centuries that revolves around accusations of Jewish power, depravity, and conspiracy.”
These three themes, she said, are entrenched in the Western world’s psyche.
Hurwitz shared frameworks to help the community understand the “Jew hatred we’re seeing today,” hatred that she said often manifests through anti-Zionism.
“I also spoke about how Jews often had to assimilate in order to be accepted and safe and how doing so led to a kind of spiritual erasure — a loss of our wisdom and traditions,” Hurwitz said.
This theme, which arises in her recent memoir, “As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us,” is personal.
“For most of my childhood and young adult life, I went around saying, ‘I’m Jewish, but not that Jewish. I’m just a cultural Jew, just a social justice Jew — I’m not too Jewish,’” Hurwitz said.
She asks herself why she was “degrading, caveating and apologizing” to this extent: “What’s wrong with being ‘that Jewish’?”
After deeply researching the history of antisemitism and how it manifests today, Hurwitz said she realized just how much she had internalized that hatred and “layers of shame.”
“Like many American Jews, I don’t think I realized how much antisemitism had shaped my own Jewish identity,” she said.
It’s important to be aware of how Jews are affected by antisemitism, according to Hurwitz.
“Once we can discern these layers of internalized antisemitism, we can begin to challenge them and strip them away. And then, we can turn back to our tradition and view it not through the eyes of those who’ve persecuted us, but through our own curious, awe-filled, loving, reverent Jewish eyes,” she said.
Hurwitz, a “Hebrew school dropout” who reconnected to Judaism at the age of 36, knew “almost nothing” about the religion until attending an introduction to Judaism class at the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center.
“I was so blown away by what I discovered in that class that I immediately took another introductory class and then began reading books, and studying with rabbis, and listening to lectures, and engaging with Jewish organizations and communities,” Hurwitz said.
She wants community members to know that it’s never too late to reengage with their Jewish identity.
“Any of us can start this journey at any time,” Hurwitz said. “And I want Jews to know that Jewish learning is a lifelong journey.”
She explored this journey in “As a Jew,” which was published in September 2025, and in her 2019 book, “Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life — in Judaism.”
Hurwitz said one of the best ways to counteract antisemitism is by fostering a rich, deep Jewish identity.
“When you know the Jewish story, then you won’t believe the ugly, hateful stories that people tell about Jews,” she said. “And we have such a beautiful story, one that includes 4,000 years of wisdom about what it means to be human — how to be a good person, lead a worthy life, and find profound spiritual connection.”
