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 and traveled with her 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.  Join us on Sunday, December 19th at 4:00 PM PDT/7:00 PM EDT when Rabbi Jason Nevarez will talk with Sarah Hurwitz about her experience in the White House and her recent book Here all Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and Deeper Connection to Life–In Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There). This event will not be recorded, so please register in advance and plan on attending live.  

Sarah Hurwitz, First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chief Speechwriter (2010-2017) & Author of Here All Along
Before working at the White House, Sarah was a senior speechwriter for President Obama’s 2008 campaign; chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential primary campaign; 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 is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, and she was a spring 2017 Fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University. Sarah Hurwitz 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 in 2016 and 2019. 

Rabbi Jason Nevarez, Senior Rabbi @Beth Israel, San Diego
Originally from New York City, Rabbi Jason Nevarez graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and went to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he received his BA in 1998. He was ordained by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 2006, where he earned Master’s degrees in both Hebrew Literature and Religious Education, and was the recipient of a number of scholarships, in addition to several academic prizes in Jewish education. Rabbi Nevarez held residencies and internships at Larchmont Temple, Larchmont, NY, Temple Beth Emeth, Ann Arbor, MI, and at Temple Shaaray Tefila, Bedford NY, where he served for 17 years before becoming the Spiritual Leader of Beth Israel. Prior to entering Rabbinical School, he served as a Youth Director at synagogues in Connecticut and Michigan, and also as a Regional Director for NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth).

There is no fee, but please RSVP for planning purposes. This event is held virtually on Zoom. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the event.