Former White House speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz shared stories about working with the Obama administration and perspectives on her Jewish identity Wednesday night in a conversation with Northwestern Hillel.
From 2009 to 2017, Hurwitz served as a senior speechwriter for former President Barack Obama and head speechwriter for former First Lady Michelle Obama.
“I wrote (Obama’s) first college graduation speech, which was at Arizona State University,” Hurwitz said. “In 2009, our economy was crashing … and he was kind of busy. We could get a meeting with him, but he was really distracted.”
Hurwitz relived her memories working with Obama as she gave an audience of approximately 15 NU and Evanston community members an inside peek into her former work routines.
The former speechwriter told the audience she would frequently receive calls early in the morning from the Oval Office when Barack Obama was asking for her.
Michelle Obama had “high technical standards” for her work and frequently adjusted her speeches to insert her own voice, Hurwitz added.
“Every transition had to be perfect,” she said of her experience working with the former First Lady. “A lot of the flow with a brilliant lawyer in mind had to be asking her, because she would just hone in on whatever was weak.”
Hurwitz also discussed her Jewish identity at the talk. Though she said she has encountered “brutal” conversations about what it means to be a Jew, the Jewish community is a family, Hurwitz said.
Hurwitz told the audience she finds tremendous comfort in contributing to a culture that dates back thousands of years and to be able to hold meaningful dialogues in a digital age.
“It’s really a pleasure to come here and to be able to share that mission, that volume (and) to share what it is that is so meaningful about those 4,000 years of wisdom in the Jewish tradition and how it’s affected my career and my life,” Hurwitz said.
Hurwitz is no stranger to NU. In 2019, she spoke alongside political science Prof. Cody Keenan (Weinberg ’02) — chief White House speechwriter during the Obama administration — at Northwestern Hillel on “Finding Meaning and Spirituality in Judaism.”
The audience asked Hurwitz to share advice for Jewish college students on navigating their identities.
“Knowing everything that you know now about your Jewish identity and Judaism and your take on everything, would you go back and teach that to your younger self?” Communication Senior Sophie Brown asked.
The former presidential speechwriter responded that she wouldn’t teach anything to her younger self because she is still “figuring it out.”
Hurwitz also expressed shock and disbelief at public commentary surrounding ongoing violence between Israel and Hamas.
Hillel Executive Director Michael Simon echoed this sentiment while introducing Hurwitz. Simon said the talk took on a tone of particular gravity considering the current events in Israel.
“As much as the world is full of unpredictability, the horror and terror that we’re experiencing, even as we speak, is not something that we could possibly known would’ve been happening,” Simon said.
Hurwitz said her Jewish identity is sentimental — given the “extraordinary” and “shocking” odds Jews have faced.
“Judaism is really pushing you to cultivate this exquisite sensitivity to the needs and dignity of every person you see,” Hurwitz said.
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Students for Justice in Palestine: Holding Andrew Yang accountable
