At the age of 36, Sarah Hurwitz was a quintessential lapsed Jew. But after a painful breakup, she began studying Judaism and was blown away by what she found: beautiful rituals, powerful advice for how to live a worthy life, conceptions of God that weren't a man in the sky. In Here All Along, she shared this journey of discovery, inspiring Jews of all stripes to fall in love (or more deeply in love) with Judaism. As Hurwitz struggled to figure out what it means to be Jewish in this new era, she began to wonder: Why had it taken her so long to discover the beauty and depth of her tradition? Why hadn't she seen any of Judaism's profound wisdom in those boring synagogue services and chaotic Hebrew school classes she'd endured as a kid? Where had this Judaism been all her life? Hurwitz began a new journey of discovery, going back through time to understand how antisemitism drove so many of her ancestors to assimilate-to erase themselves and their traditions, depriving future generations of their birthright-and how this same hatred is once again shaping Jewish identity today. In Nobody Else's Jews, Hurwitz documents her quest to decolonize her Jewish identity: to strip away the layers of anti-Semitic lies that made her recoil from her own tradition and to rediscover the treasures her ancestors had to leave behind. With antisemitism raging worldwide, Hurwitz's defiant account of reclaiming her tradition and learning to live as a Jew without apology has never been more necessary, or more timely. "Sarah Hurwitz was Michelle Obama's head speechwriter, and with this book she becomes Judaism's speechwriter. In a time when many people have lost faith, her timeless wisdom and graceful writing will delight even the most steadfast skeptics of organized religion." - Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals "Searching for meaning in the ancient scripture and traditions of Judaism, Sarah Hurwitz takes us along on an enriching journey of discovery. In Here All Along, she explores her birthright as a Jew and finds timeless and valuable life lessons."- - David Axelrod, director of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and former senior advisor to President Barack Obama
