Sarah Hurwitz: Reclaiming Judaism from Shame and Blame [Teshuva 3/6]

18Forty Podcast

18Forty

Judaism, Religion & Spirituality

4.7 • 704 Ratings

🗓️ 9 September 2025

⏱️ 85 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This series is sponsored by Mira and Daniel Stokar.

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we speak with writer Sarah Hurwitz—author of the new book As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us—about what it means to be a “knowing Jew.”

In a time when we often feel compelled to justify our Judaism to the world, being Jewishly educated is no longer a luxury but a necessity. In this episode we discuss:

What does a proud Jew professionally associated with the Democratic Party make of the state of contemporary politics?
Where should one begin in trying to be an educated and involved Jew with a strong Jewish home?
How can the mussar literature be a great starting point to people looking to deepen their practice?

Tune in to hear a conversation about claiming for ourselves the tradition that so many try to take from us.

Interview begins at 11:14.

Sarah Hurwitz served as a White House speechwriter from 2009 to 2017, first as a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and then as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama. She is the author of Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There) and As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try To Erase Us.

References:

As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us by Sarah Hurwitz

Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life – in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There) by Sarah Hurwitz

The Mighty Ducks

Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar by Alan Morinis

Mesillat Yesharim by Moses Chaim Luzzatto

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You know what made Rabbi Sachs distinctive?
0:03.0	He created Torah commentary for this generation, people who want to engage thoughtfully with the world while staying rooted in tradition.
0:11.0	He didn't ask you to choose between serious Torah study and intellectual engagement with contemporary ideas.
0:17.0	Instead, he showed how Torah wisdom can engage with philosophy, science, ethics, the big questions
0:23.2	thoughtful people care about. Now his approach is available in complete Chumish format. It's called
0:29.7	the Rabbi Sachs Chimish, and his commentary is integrated right with the Torah text alongside
0:35.5	Rashi and Unkelis. If you're someone who wants Torah study that engages seriously with the intellectual currents of our time, this is the Torah commentary for our generation. Now available at koranpub.com. That's k-O-R-E-N-P-U-B-com or at your local bookstore.
0:55.4	And I'll just add, just on a personal note, I have seen the Rabbi Sacks-Klemish.
0:59.7	It is really incredible, and I think Rabbi Sacks as a translator, in the greatest sense of the word, when I say translator, I don't mean somebody who took a word from one language and rendered into another
1:12.3	language. What I mean is somebody who is able to translate ideas and values in a way that
1:18.1	preserves the timelessness and eternity of those ideas, yet is able to translate them in a way
1:24.5	that resonates for our generation. I have seen the Rabbi Sachs-Homish.
1:29.2	I have learned it. I have studied from it. And I could not recommend it more to our listeners.
1:34.3	This should be in every Jewish home. It's now available at corinpub.com or at your local bookstore.
1:41.2	By the Rabbi Sachs-Humish now.
1:48.5	Hi, friends. It's Dev david here in a longer letter a listener recently wrote to me about an experience he had during one of our episodes this is a real
1:53.8	direct quote i found myself driving with tears rolling down my face completely overtaken by what i was
2:00.4	hearing and i realized I had to thank
2:03.1	you. Not just for that episode, but for what 1840 has become for me. Not every reaction is quite like
2:10.0	that, but your support for 1840 ensures every Jew has a place to cry, to question, to discover parts
2:17.2	of Yiddishkite. they never knew how to access.
2:19.9	Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at 1840.org slash donate.
	...

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