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Here All Along
Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life--in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There) | Sarah Hurwitz
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A renowned political speechwriter rediscovers Judaism, finding timeless wisdom and spiritual connection in its age-old practices and traditions. Sarah Hurwitz was Michelle Obamas head speechwriter, and with this book she becomes Judaisms speechwriter.Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take, Originals, and co-author of Option B After a decade as a political speechwriterserving as head speechwriter for First Lady Michelle Obama, a senior speechwriter for President Barack Obama, and chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton on her 2008 presidential campaignSarah Hurwitz decided to apply her skills as a communicator to writing a book . . . about Judaism. And no one is more surprised than she is. Hurwitz was the quintessential lapsed Jewuntil, at age thirty-six, after a tough breakup, she happened upon an advertisement for an introductory class on Judaism. She attended on a whim, but was blown away by what she found: beautiful rituals, helpful guidance on living an ethical life, conceptions of God beyond the judgy bearded man in the skynone of which she had learned in Hebrew school or during the two synagogue services she grudgingly attended each year. That class led to a years-long journey during which Hurwitz visited the offices of rabbis, attended Jewish meditation retreats, sat at the Shabbat tables of Orthodox families, and read hundreds of books about Judaismall in dogged pursuit of answers to her biggest questions. What she found transformed her life, and she wondered: How could there be such a gap between the richness of what Judaism offers and the way so many Jews like her understand and experience it? Sarah Hurwitz is on a mission to close this gap by sharing the profound insights she discovered on everything from Jewish holidays, ethics, and prayer to Jewish conceptions of God, death, and social justice. In this entertaining and accessible book, she shows us why Judaism matters and how its message is more relevant than ever, and she inspires Jews to do the learning, questioning, and debating required to make this religion their own. 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
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PurpleTulipGirl
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“A decision I made in sixth grade to violate two of the Ten Commandments nearly ended my Jewish journey.”

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Insightsintobooks

"“How might we approach strangers on the street, if we were convinced that we and they were God?” Bringing the experience of unity to our daily duality also has implications for how we go about our lives. “If every moment, every object, and every being is the Divine before us,” notes Rabbi James Jacobson-Maisels, “we bring a freshness and openness to our experience, ready to find God in every moment.”"

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Insightsintobooks

"But I also appreciate that this endlessly argumentative, iterative process is the reason why Judaism is still around today. Questioning, debating, and interpreting aren‘t merely tolerated in Judaism—this is Judaism, and this process is the key not just to our survival, but to our success as well."

This is what I love about Judaism.

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Insightsintobooks

"Jewish tradition holds that the souls of all Jews, including those who converted to Judaism, were present at Sinai."

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