Sarah Hurwitz

b. 1981

by JWA Staff
Our work to expand the Encyclopedia is ongoing. We are providing this brief biography for Sarah Hurwitz until we are able to commission a full entry.

Speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Photo by Chuck Kennedy of The Washington Post.

As speechwriter for Michelle Obama, Sarah Hurwitz helped craft the First Lady’s message throughout the Obamas’ time in the White House. Hurwitz earned degrees from Harvard University and Harvard Law School and cut her teeth as a speechwriting intern for Al Gore before becoming chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton’s first presidential campaign in 2007. During that campaign, she was best known for writing Clinton’s concession speech about the highest, hardest glass ceiling now having 18 million more cracks in it. Immediately after the primaries, Hurwitz was hired by the Obama presidential campaign, writing for both Barack and Michelle Obama before shifting to work exclusively for the First Lady from 2010 to 2017. She also served as senior advisor to the White House Council on Women and Girls. During the 2016 election cycle, when Michelle Obama was a crucial surrogate for Hillary Clinton, Hurwitz helped her craft speeches that were praised for their poetry and positivity, including her speeches at the Democratic National Convention. Her earlier work from the 2008 campaign achieved further fame when Melania Trump lifted passages for her own use in 2016. In 2017 Hurwitz became a fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. She was also honored as one of the Forward 50 in 2016 and 2019. Hurwitz’s book Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life -- in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There) was published in 2019 and explores her rediscovery of Judaism. The book was named a Finalist for the 2019 National Jewish Book Award and the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature. It also debuted as the number one new release in Amazon’s Jewish life category. 

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Sarah Hurwitz." (Viewed on April 16, 2024) <http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/hurwitz-sarah>.