Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life--in Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There)

As a professional speechwriter, Sarah Hurwitz's prose is clear and engaging--a true pleasure to read. As someone who has been in the conversion process for about a year, I found this book to be a great summary of many of Judaism's most important topics, from Shabbat to the High Holy Days to belief in G-d to the afterlife. What reassured me most though, as someone seeking to convert, was that even people who are born Jewish don't know all there is to know about Judaism and there is always more to learn. And that's ok.

While my approach to Judaism differs quite a bit from that of Hurwitz, I very much enjoyed this book. Readers should know that the book embraces a vision of Judaism that probably best fits into the "liberal Jewish" world-view (i.e., Reform/Reconstructionist/Conservative), though Hurwitz does try to present Orthodox positions in a number of places.That being said, the book does a very nice job explaining to readers why Judaism is worthy of a modern, educated person's attention. As Hurwitz says in the introduction, if you are looking for peace of mind or spiritual connection; looking to understand yourself more deeply; looking to become a better person; or looking to lead a more meaningful, impactful life, then Judaism might be the answer. Of course, Judaism is a 4,000 year old civilization that can be intimidating to the uninitiated. Finding the right approach is key when dealing an intellectual tradition that often assumes a certain base of background knowledge. As someone once said about the Talmud, which Jewish tradition compares to the sea in that it has no beginning or end, the trick for the newcomer is to find a place where the shore slopes gently down into the water. Hurwitz helps you do just that.A number of people have asked me over the years for advice on where to start learning more about Judaism. This book probably comes closest to what they are looking for. While not a "how to" book, Hurwitz helps you see why Jewish practices are worth pursuing and gives you some direction for how to pursue your own Jewish journey. Whether it is the inspirational practice of prayer and meditation; the soothing calm of weekly Shabbat observance; the communal experience of the major holiday seasons; or the intellectual challenge of grappling with centuries-old texts, there is something in the Jewish tradition for everyone--but only if you know where to look. Hurwitz guides you through each of these topics, and more, giving you a taste of each. Finally, she includes a list of resources for those looking to learn more.

This book is an incredible overview of the essence of what Judaism is about, as seen through the eyes of someone who finally experienced the real wonders of the religion as an adult. There are so many of us who, like Sarah Hurwitz, the author, had an impoverished Jewish education. I doubt there is any book available that provides such a stimulating, and eye-opening antidote to our Jewish illiteracy. Here All Along should be THE textbook for every Adult Jewish Education or Conversion Class. It's not just that it covers the key topics (Torah, questioning and interpretation, the many Jewish conceptions of God, mitzvot, prayer, Shabbat, holidays, life cycles and more) it does it in the form of a story: how this completely non-practicing nice Jewish girl (who happened to write speeches for the President of the United States and First Lady) learned about her heritage. She writes about her skepticism, and the fraught path into Jewish life that opened her mind and her heart. I sense this book would be an inspiration for anyone who is on that path...it was for me.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. I think the author did a wonderful job going into detail with each of the aspects of Judaism she covered and how she came to her conclusions.One star off for her repeated description of secularism as anti-religious. Secularism is not to be confused with atheism. Secularism is (in brief) the idea that one's government does not enforce or give weight to one religion over others, so that many traditions may exist and flourish. Atheism rejects the concept of God or gods.She describes atheism and and calls it secularism. Once, I think she confused secularism for capitalism/materialism.For someone who took such care when exploring nuanced ideas in Judaism, it was disappointing that she did not use the same level of rigor when comparing and contrasting Judiasm with these concepts. Those sections where she criticized secularism/materialism/capitalism/atheism in contrast to Judaism were the weakest because she did not have clear definitions. It was like she lumped all of the "not religion" concepts into one boogeyman to criticize.Otherwise, I found her exploration of Judaism fascinating, wide-ranging, and thought-provoking.

It's so rare that I write reviews, but I'm doing it for this book because it is a treasure. Sarah Hurwitz, who was a speech writer for Michelle Obama for several years, shares her story of rediscovering Judaism and her transformation throughout that process. She also did incredibly in-depth research of Judaism and explains many complicated concepts (including summarizing the entire Torah) in eloquent and simple language. I have over 300 Jewish books, and this is now one of my all-time favorites. Toda Raba, Sarah Hurwitz!