Qabbalat Shabbat with Sarah Hurwitz

Gather with us onsite or online for Qabbalat Shabbat. All are welcome to join this service full of prayer, meditation, and music!

We welcome guest scholar Sarah Hurwitz for an evening of dynamic study. During our Shabbat together, Sarah Hurwitz will discuss, "As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us". Sarah Hurwitz’s talk is sponsored by the Center for Adult Jewish Learning.

To join our community online, visit us on YouTube, Facebook Live or Temple Israel’s livestream.

Questions? Call 617-566-3960 or email info@tisrael.org.

About Sarah Hurwitz

Sarah Hurwitz was a White House speechwriter from 2009 to 2017, starting out as a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama and then serving as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama. Sarah worked with Mrs. Obama to craft widely-acclaimed addresses – including her 2008, 2012, and 2016 Democratic National Convention speeches – and traveled with the First Lady across America and to five continents. Sarah also worked on policy issues affecting young women and girls as a senior advisor to the White House Council on Women and Girls.  

Sarah is also the author of Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life -- in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There) which was a finalist for two National Jewish Book Awards and for the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. Michelle Obama tweeted about Sarah’s book saying, “Sarah Hurwitz is a brilliant writer with a big heart and a kind soul — and I’m sure Here All Along will reflect her thoughtfulness and eloquence, which I depended on for so many years. I’m so proud of you, Sarah, for sharing your journey and your voice with the world!” Sarah’s second book, As A Jew: Reclaiming Our Story From Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try To Erase Us, is an urgent exploration of how antisemitism has shaped Jewish identity and how Jews can reclaim their tradition. As a Jew is a New York Times Bestseller and winner of a National Jewish Book Award and the Natan Notable Book Award.  

Before working at the White House, Sarah was chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential primary campaign. She then joined the Obama campaign, serving as a senior speechwriter for then-Senator Obama. Prior to the Clinton and Obama campaigns, Sarah served as deputy chief speechwriter for Senator John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, deputy chief speechwriter for General Wesley Clark’s primary campaign, and a speechwriter for Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa. Sarah was also a lawyer at the Washington, DC office of WilmerHale.  

Sarah has been profiled in The Washington Post, People.com, The Boston Globe, and The Guardian; interviewed on The Today Show, Morning Joe, Amanpour & Co., and NPR; and featured in The Forward as one of 50 Jews who impacted American life.  

Sarah is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, was a 2017 Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics, and has completed training to be a chaplain, which she does as a volunteer at a local hospital.