Podcast Summary: Totally Booked with Zibby – Sarah Hurwitz, AS A JEW: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us

Date: September 12, 2025
Host: Zibby Owens
Guest: Sarah Hurwitz, author and former White House speechwriter
Episode: Discussing Hurwitz’s new book “As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us”

Main Theme

This episode features a thoughtful and candid discussion with Sarah Hurwitz about her new book, which addresses Jewish identity in the context of rising antisemitism, internalized shame, and societal misunderstanding. Zibby Owens and Hurwitz explore why Jews have long faced prejudice, the nuances of holding and expressing Jewish identity today, and why reclaiming and understanding Jewish tradition is more important than ever.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Motivation and Background for Writing the Book

• Sarah revisits her Jewish Journey: Having grown up with minimal Jewish background and rediscovering the tradition in her 30s, Hurwitz originally wrote a “love letter to Jewish tradition.” The new book was inspired by seeing how deeply antisemitism and centuries of misunderstanding have distorted Jewish identity, including within the Jewish community itself.
• Church language in secular spaces: Sarah shares her experience as a hospital chaplain-in-training and notices Christian-centric language dominating spiritual care, reflecting how Christian perspectives pervade American life—and shape Jews’ own perception of Judaism.
• (04:57) Sarah Hurwitz:

  “I dove into history and discovered that my Jewish identity, and I think many American Jews, Jewish identity has been infiltrated and deeply warped by centuries and centuries of antisemitism... we think in Christian terms, we have very negative feelings about Judaism and Jewish tradition.”

2. The Persistent Mystery of Antisemitism

• Zibby asks the perennial question: Why have Jews remained such a focal point of hate, despite being such a small percentage of the population?
• Sarah breaks down the history: Rather than a one-off (i.e., the Holocaust), antisemitism is a recurring pattern rooted in the inability of universalizing ideologies (Christianity, Communism, Nazism) to tolerate Jewish difference. Jews are often cast as the singular obstacle to utopian projects.
• (07:47) Sarah Hurwitz:

  “It's really a result of centuries and centuries of universalizing traditions that cannot tolerate Jewish difference... these same neural grooves of depravity, conspiracy and power... you just see it over and over again throughout history.”

• Memorable metaphor: Jews are “a rounding error on the Chinese census” (10:05), yet are persistently the target of disproportionate hostility.

3. Navigating Jewish Identity in Today’s Climate

• Reluctance to be visibly Jewish: Sarah and many others find themselves downplaying visits to Israel or Jewish observance to avoid difficult conversations in polarized environments (11:36).
• Limits of ‘fighting antisemitism’:
  • Emphasizes that a tiny minority (Jews: 16 million) cannot “fight” antisemitism out of existence.
  • Instead, Jews should focus on living proudly and deeply as Jews.
  • Build new communities and welcome all, when excluded or marginalized.
• (12:58) Sarah Hurwitz:

  “Instead of trying to be anti, anti-Semite, what I would passionately urge Jews to do... is let’s be Jews. Let's be proud, learned, passionate, engaged Jews.”

4. The Depth and Utility of Jewish Wisdom

• Wrestling with complex realities:
  • The book delicately balances nuanced counterarguments in real time, reflecting Jewish tradition’s emphasis on questioning and debate (15:18, 20:56).
  • Sarah invited feedback from 80 diverse readers to stress-test her arguments and add nuances, reflecting Jewish tradition’s pluralism.
• The polarity of tradition:
  • Contrasting “love the stranger” with “remember Amalek”—holding competing moral truths.
  • (22:51) Sarah Hurwitz:

    “Jewish tradition operates in polarities. It's never good, bad, wrong, right. ... You're holding competing truths.”

5. Jewish Engagement and Accessibility

• Balancing deep tradition with modern lives:
  • Acknowledges that most people are too busy for intensive study.
  • The book and its approach are aimed at making Judaism’s wisdom accessible, not overwhelming (23:46).
• Common misconception exposed:
  • Many Jews are deeply familiar with popular thought and other religions, but unaware of the profundity within their own tradition.
  • Hurwitz hopes Jews and anyone interested will engage with Jewish wisdom, which has much to offer beyond the familiar motifs of holidays and food.

6. Antisemitism in the Publishing (and Other) Industries

• Zibby brings up contemporary bias:
  • Concern about rising anti-Jewish sentiment in the publishing world, as well as academia and therapy.
• Sarah’s fortunate experience with her own publisher, but concern for the bigger picture:
  • She distinguishes between legitimate criticism and unsubstantiated, incendiary language (26:31).
  • Urges clarity: Denial of Jewish identity and expression should be recognized as antisemitism, in the same way parallel actions would be labeled racism or homophobia for other groups.
• (28:41) Sarah Hurwitz:

  “It's so easy for us to see things clearly when it's any other group. And I think it's time for us to really start seeing clearly when it's Jews.”

7. Finding Hope Amidst Challenge

• College students as a source of optimism:
  • Despite facing hostility, many young Jews are sharpening their critical thinking and advocacy, demonstrating resilience.
• Jewish Law’s focus on everyday compassion:
  • Countering the cliché of “legalistic Judaism” with examples of how Jewish law encourages consideration for others in daily interactions—an “exquisite sensitivity to the needs and humanity and dignity of every single person.” (29:02–31:10)
• (31:45) Sarah Hurwitz:

  “This is just a small piece of Jewish wisdom that I think has so much to offer for our times, and there is so much more. There are millions and millions of pages more where that came from.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Jewish population:

  “We are a rounding error on the Chinese census, as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once called us. We are a tiny people. People have just been obsessed with us.” — Sarah Hurwitz (10:05)

• On the contemporary challenge:

  “If you don't know anything about Jewish tradition, you can't really do much in the face of antisemitism... It just renders you totally helpless in the face of even the slightest antisemitism.” — Sarah Hurwitz (13:59)

• On Jewish tradition’s complexity:

  “Jewish tradition operates in polarities. It’s never good, bad, wrong, right. It’s... holding competing truths.” — Sarah Hurwitz (22:51)

• On the hope from students:

  “I’m seeing these Jewish students really engage in some resilience... they are thoughtful, they make me feel quite hopeful about the Jewish future.” — Sarah Hurwitz (29:02)

• On Jewish law’s humanity:

  “Jewish law is trying to inculcate this exquisite sensitivity to the needs and humanity and dignity of every single person in your path.” — Sarah Hurwitz (31:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 04:09 – Introduction and the impetus behind Sarah’s new book
• 07:44 – Why does antisemitism persist across history?
• 11:36 – Challenges of being openly Jewish today
• 12:58 – The limits of “fighting” antisemitism and the call to proud Jewish living
• 15:18/20:56 – Writing process: holding nuance, wrestling with counterarguments
• 22:51 – Jewish tradition and moral polarities
• 23:46 – Making Jewish wisdom accessible for busy modern people
• 26:31 – Addressing antisemitism in contemporary industries, especially publishing
• 28:54 – Drawing analogies to other minority groups to clarify antisemitism
• 29:02 – Sources of personal hope: today’s students and enduring wisdom
• 31:10 – Jewish law as practical kindness in daily life

Episode Tone & Language

The conversation is warm, honest, and layered with both urgency and hope. Zibby Owens is supportive, candidly discussing her own experiences as a Jewish publisher. Sarah Hurwitz is thoughtful, scholarly but accessible, balancing historical insight with practical advice. The tone vacillates between moments of heaviness—recognizing painful realities—and encouragement, emphasizing resilience and possibility.

Conclusion

This episode offers an enlightening and timely exploration of Jewish identity, the persistence of antisemitism, and the unique wisdom that Jewish tradition can offer—both to Jews and to anyone seeking meaning in a complex world. Hurwitz’s accessible style and Zibby’s engaging questions make for an essential listen for those navigating these fraught issues or seeking to understand them more deeply.

Highly recommended for listeners interested in Judaism, identity, combating hate, and the quest for wisdom.