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

by Sarah Hurwitz Narrated by Sarah Hurwitz

Overview

New York Times Bestseller Rabbi Sacks Book Prize Finalist

An urgent exploration of how antisemitism has shaped Jewish identity and how Jews can reclaim their tradition, by the celebrated White House speechwriter and author of the critically acclaimed Here All Along.

At thirty-six, Sarah Hurwitz was a typical lapsed Jew. On a whim, she attended an introduction to Judaism class and was astonished by what she discovered: thousands of years of wisdom from her ancestors about what it means to be human. That class sparked a journey of discovery that transformed her life.

Years later, as Hurwitz wrestled with what it means to be Jewish at a time of rising antisemitism, she wondered: Where had the Judaism she discovered as an adult been all her life? Why hadn't she seen the beauty and depth of her tradition in those dull synagogue services and Hebrew school classes she'd endured as a kid? And why had her Jewish identity consisted of a series of caveats and apologies: I'm Jewish, but not that Jewish . . . I'm just a cultural Jew . . . I'm just like everyone else but with a fun ethnic twist-a dash of neurosis, a touch of gallows humor-a little different, but not in a way that would make anyone uncomfortable.

Seeking answers, she went back through time to discover how hateful myths about Jewish power, depravity, and conspiracy have worn a neural groove deep into the world's psyche, shaping not just how others think about Jews, but how Jews think about themselves. She soon realized that the Jewish identity she'd thought was freely chosen was actually the result of thousands of years of antisemitism and two centuries of Jews erasing parts of themselves and their tradition in the hope of being accepted and safe.

In As a Jew, Hurwitz documents her quest to take back her Jewish identity, how she stripped away the layers of antisemitic lies that made her recoil from her own birthright and unearthed the treasures of Jewish tradition. With antisemitism raging worldwide, Hurwitz's defiant account of reclaiming the Jewish story and learning to live as a Jew, without apology, has never been timelier or more necessary.

INCLUDED IN PUBLISHERS WEEKLY HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE. CHOSEN AS PUBLISHERS WEEKLY BEST BOOKS OF 2025, RELIGION.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

"Beautifully written and brilliantly argued, As a Jew is that rare book that defines an historical moment. The American Jewish awakening is upon us, and Sarah Hurwitz is its prophet." — Yossi Klein Halevi, senior fellow, Shalom Hartman Institute, author of New York Times bestseller Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor

“This book explains antisemitism and the danger it poses—not just to Jews, but to all of us. It also reveals the breathtaking history and resilience of the Jewish people and the beauty of Jewish tradition.” — Van Jones, CNN Host and New York Times bestselling author

"A love letter to a religious and cultural inheritance, written without apology but with humility and care." — Kirkus Reviews

“This is the most important book I’ve read this year, and it’s not even close. Sarah Hurwitz writes with warmth, wisdom, and wit, and she answers questions I’ve been asking all my life.”  — Susan Cain, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Quiet and Bittersweet and host of The Quiet Life on Substack

“If you want to understand the situation American Jews find themselves in right now—not just the bewildering hatred, but the many internal and external forces preventing us from understanding it—stop whatever you’re doing and read this book.” — Dara Horn, author of People Love Dead Jews

“Once again Sarah Hurwitz offers readers a moving and challenging insight into what it means to be a Jew today. Written with brutal honesty, it makes one laugh, cry, and, most importantly, think.”  — Deborah E. Lipstadt, ambassador (ret.), Distinguished University Professor, Emory University, and author of Antisemitism: Here and Now

“The way that Sarah Hurwitz thinks and writes about Judaism provides a kinetic roadmap to the reclamation of the Judaism we should want, eschewing the flimsy stuff in favor of a more textured identity worth examining and embracing.” — Alex Edelman, Emmy and Tony Award–winning comedian and writer

“Sarah Hurwitz brilliantly combines the very Jewish qualities of honest self-examination, wry humor, and deep historical scholarship to deconstruct the careless, toxic melding of antisemitism and anti-Zionism.” — David Axelrod, author of New York Times bestseller Believer and former senior advisor to President Barack Obama

“Please read this extraordinarily significant book in which Sarah Hurwitz takes an unflinching look at how antisemitism has affected Jewish identity; reminds us that while antisemites start with Jews, they never end with Jews; and offers a way forward for the Jewish future.” — Joseph Telushkin, author of Jewish Literacy and coauthor, with Dennis Prager, of Why the Jews? the Reason for Antisemitism, the Most Accurate Predictor of Human Evil

Kirkus Reviews

2025-05-30
Living and loving the faith.

There’s an old comic exchange between two men. One says, “It’s hard to make a living.” The other says, “It’s hard to be a Jew.” The first replies, “It’s hard to be a mensch!” This book explores just how hard it is to be a Jew in 21st-century America. But more importantly, it explores just how hard it is to be a mensch of any faith—truly humane, open, and accepting, motivated by ethical principles and care for others. The struggle to embrace a heritage has been irrevocably complicated by the struggle to embrace a Jewish nation-state. In fluent, conversational prose, the author (a former speechwriter for the Obamas) outlines some of the major historical principles behind Judaism. In her account, Judaism is a story of survival, a constant reinventing of tradition for a changing world, and a commitment to preserving the past while living in the present. More than any specific list of laws, rules, or observances, this feature of Judaism lies at the heart of the author’s story. She writes from personal experience, from historical research, and from a truly literary perspective. Responding to the prevalence of anti-Jewish incidents after the Oct. 7, 2003, attack on Israel, she writes: “Relying on incident counts can be like trying to measure humidity with a bucket, as if it were rain. You can wind up with an empty bucket and a lot of people proclaiming that it’s all in your head. Even as you stand before them drenched in sweat and feeling suffocated, they may still insist that you’re overreacting, even making it all up.” It may be uniquely hard to be a Jew these days. But, Jewish or not, it’s even harder to be a mensch.

A love letter to a religious and cultural inheritance, written without apology but with humility and care.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940194547401
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/09/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos