Josef Hurwitz was born in Kristiania (Oslo) as the youngest of three children to Anna (born Jarni 1890 in Lithuania) and Gabriel Hurwitz (born 1889 in Lithuania). Anna and Gabriel ran their own businesses in the Hausmann area in Oslo, where Joseph, Brother Meyer (born 1916) and sister Jenny (born 1919) grew up. Joseph had primary school, middle school and mechanical school, and worked as a plumber. He was unmarried. On October 26, 1942, Joseph Hurwitz was arrested by the Norwegian state police and taken to Bredtveit Prison. Two days later he was transferred to Berg prison camp outside of Tønsberg. 

A month later, on November 26, 1942, Joseph was deported on the ship Donau to Stettin and from there to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Josef Hurwitz was killed in January 1944. His father Gabriel, mother Anna and brother Meyer were also deported and killed in Auschwitz. Only Jenny survived. She managed to escape to Sweden in December 1942. Jenny later joined the allied forces and served at the Army command center in London.