As a Jew: Reclaiming Our Story from Those Who Blame, Shame, and Try to Erase Us is a nonfiction book by American author Sarah Hurwitz. It was published by HarperOne on September 9, 2025. The book examines Jewish identity, antisemitism, Jewish history, and Hurwitz's views on Judaism, Zionism, and Israel.
Background
As a Jew is Hurwitz's second book, following Here All Along, published in 2019. Hurwitz, described by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency as a liberal Zionist in its coverage of the book, worked as a White House speechwriter, and started studying Judaism more closely as an adult. Her experiences led her to examine her Jewish identity and the ways antisemitism and assimilation have shaped Jewish life.
Hurwitz said in an interview that her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, including being a hospital chaplain, influenced the development of the book. Her study of Jewish texts and traditions also contributed to her interest in questions of Jewish identity and antisemitism.
Content
The title of the book refers to the expression "as a Jew", which has been used to introduce statements or arguments made from a Jewish perspective.
In the book, Hurwitz recounts her childhood experiences with Judaism and her later in life efforts to learn more about Jewish traditions and texts. She examine the historical development of antisemitism and its influence on Jewish attitudes toward identity and assimilation. She argues that understanding antisemitism requires looking beyond the Holocaust to its longer historical development and discusses the implications of this history for contemporary Jewish life. Hurwitz also addresses contemporary antisemitism. Discussing the prevalence of anti-Jewish incidents following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, she writes: “Relying on incident counts can be like trying to measure humidity with a bucket, as if it were rain". The book also addresses Zionism and Israel. In one chapter, Hurwitz argues against describing Zionism as inherently colonialist or racist, while also acknowledging what she describes as serious flaws in Israel.
Reception
Kirkus Reviews described As a Jew as an examination of Jewish identity in 21st-century America and praised its combination of personal experience, historical research, and Jewish tradition.
Publishers Weekly included the book among its best religion books of 2025. Its review described Hurwitz's return to Jewish faith and examined the pressures affecting contemporary American Judaism, such as antisemitism, assimilation, Israel, and criticism of Israeli government actions.
A Commentary review discussed Hurwitz's arguments about antisemitism, Jewish identity, Israel, and contemporary political divisions. A Peninsula Press review examined Jewish identity in the diaspora, focusing on Hurwitz's changing relationship with Judaism and her discussion of antisemitism, Israel, and Zionism. Marc Katz of the Jewish Book Council praised Hurwitz's accessible discussion of antisemitism, including Christian antisemitism, assimilation, Jewish practice, Israel, and anti-Zionism.
As a Jew debuted on The New York Times Best Seller list on September 25, 2025.
Awards
As a Jew received the Myra H. Kraft Memorial Award for Contemporary Jewish Life and Practice at the National Jewish Book Awards for books published in 2025.
See also
Jewish identity Antisemitism Jewish assimilation Zionism
References
External links
As a Jew at the Jewish Book Council As a Jew at Kirkus Reviews