CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga takes on antisemitism in new YA book

Bianna Golodryga, a quality anchor for CNN International, immigrated to the U.S. from the erstwhile Soviet Union successful 1980 with her household to flight antisemitism.

Now a genitor of 2 children, the onetime governmental exile finds herself having to explicate the hatred expressed toward Jewish radical successful the state she loves — overmuch of it expressed successful the swampy waters of societal media. She sees them surviving with the hostility betwixt taking a basal against it and getting along.

“When you travel to a country, you’re the minority, and each you privation to bash is acceptable in,” Golodryga says.

The seasoned writer who co-hosts “One World” connected CNN International and her person Yonit Levi, a starring anchor for N12 News successful Israel, wanted to supply their preteen offspring a roadworthy representation to woody with the issue. They delivered it successful their co-authored young big caller “Don’t Feed the Lion.”

The book, aimed astatine ages 9 and up, is centered astir Theo Kaplan, a soccer-obsessed Chicago middle-school pupil whose satellite is rocked erstwhile his favourite footballer makes an antisemitic remark astir a squad owner. The hatred hits person to location erstwhile a swastika and antisemitic hashtag is scrawled connected Theo’s diversion country locker — starring his younger sister to presume a concealed online individuality to get justice.

Golodryga precocious spoke to The Times astir “Don’t Feed the Lion.”

Bianna Golodryga interviews hostage Andrey Kozlov successful Israel.

(CNN)

The cardinal crippled constituent successful this publication is informed by beingness experience. Your lad took it hard erstwhile NBA prima Kyrie Irving touted a documentary film with antisemitic tropes connected societal media. Irving was suspended by his squad earlier helium apologized for it.

My lad is simply a large sports fan. He’s asked maine point-blank, “Why bash they hatred us? Can I not spell to hoops games anymore?” I retrieve wherever we were connected the Brooklyn Bridge going to a Brooklyn Nets crippled and helium asked this and I didn’t person a bully answer. I figured I would conscionable scope retired to their schoolhouse and spot what they’re doing astir antisemitism since they’ve invested truthful overmuch into different forms of hatred education. I came to find retired they didn’t person anything. It was basically, “Well, erstwhile they inquire a question, we sermon it astatine schoolhouse sometimes.” And truthful that truly stuck with me, that determination weren’t resources for kids connected antisemitism.

Did the Hamas onslaught connected Israel that led to the warfare successful Gaza accelerate the request for specified a book?

Yonit and I person known each different for galore years, and we sadly predicted that erstwhile again, we’d spot a immense spike successful antisemitism. Her kids are astir the aforesaid age. She spent galore of her formative years present and she’s precise acquainted with the U.S. And I said, “Let’s constitute the publication that we can’t find, due to the fact that this is bound to beryllium an contented successful the weeks and months to come.” It’s not the panacea, but astatine slightest determination volition beryllium immoderate assets that’s a bully communicative too, for Jewish kids, non-Jewish kids and the adults successful their lives.

(Arcadia Children’s Books)

After your main quality Theo sees the swastika and hashtag connected his locker, the absorption from his schoolhouse was beauteous tepid. Are schools not taking this contented earnestly enough?

That’s portion of the problem. We’ve allowed this to fester. Other forms of hatred person been addressed head-on. Whether it’s a swastika present oregon determination oregon a societal media post, oregon a connection oregon a comment, whether from the close oregon from the near — it’s benignant of treated arsenic isolated incidents and not with the level of alarm that I would accidental different forms of hatred oregon comments directed astatine different minorities would be. And again, this is idiosyncratic acquisition from different household members dating backmost five, 10 years agone wherever determination were swastikas astatine school, and the effect was, “Let’s person a kumbaya league and speech astir wherefore this isn’t a bully happening and wherefore we shouldn’t let this.” I’ve experienced this arsenic a Jewish American.

How analyzable has this treatment go successful airy of the mode nationalist sentiment has turned against the Israelis implicit the mode they handled the warfare successful Gaza?

I deliberation that’s 1 of the reasons wherefore nary one’s truly wanted to interaction this contented for this property radical due to the fact that they conflate it with the Middle East. This is evidently the longest, deadliest, astir achy warfare stemming from the horrific attacks of Oct. 7 that we’ve covered. But we spot each clip there’s an infraction, skirmishes oregon short-term warfare determination is simply a spike successful antisemitism astir the world. ... There’s nary different state wherever I’d alternatively beryllium a Jew than successful the United States. But determination isn’t a clip wherever I don’t retrieve increasing up, whether successful Texas oregon successful New York now, wherever determination hasn’t been an equipped defender oregon 2 oregon three, oregon a weaponry menace issued, astatine a spot of worship, a synagogue, a Jewish institution, and that’s been normalized. I mean, present I don’t consciousness comfy going into a Jewish instauration without security. And again, this predates Oct. 7.

Bianna Golodryga, center, with Malki Shem Tov, left, and hostage Omer Shem Tov during her interrogation with Omer.

(CNN)

Was it hard to merchantability this book?

We started bringing it to the attraction of publishers astir 2 oregon 3 months aft Oct. 7, truthful extremity of December ’23 and aboriginal January ’24. And I volition say, I was a spot amazed that we couldn’t get galore radical to bite. We’ve ne'er written a publication and we were told — and I instrumentality this astatine their connection —that this is simply a precise hard property radical to constitute for and marketplace to successful general, which is successful and of itself a problem, due to the fact that arsenic we noted, they’re precise smart, inquisitive, and they request materials. They shouldn’t beryllium talked down to. We didn’t privation to constitute a didactic book. Then we would perceive six months to a twelvemonth aboriginal that present whitethorn not beryllium the close clip to constitute a publication connected antisemitism. Maybe springiness it a twelvemonth oregon 2 and we’ll see. It seemed to america the is the nonstop clip to constitute a book. We conscionable got to the constituent wherever we said let’s conscionable self-publish, if that’s what it’s gonna take.

How did you yet find a publisher?

Luckily, Yonit and I weren’t shy astir telling everyone we knew astir this project. One nighttime I was seated astatine a meal for the Metropolitan Museum of Art adjacent to Michael Lynton, who’s a erstwhile Sony Entertainment caput and present president of Snap. And I told him astir this book, and helium said, “I’ll people it.” He and his sister tally Arcadia, which publishes determination children’s books. He said this isn’t typically the benignant of publication we publish. But I deliberation helium truly believed successful the idea, and truthful we’re precise grateful.

There are immoderate similarities betwixt your 13-year-old lad and Theo. When helium work the book, was he acrophobic it mightiness beryllium excessively revealing?

No. It’s comic due to the fact that I deliberation helium really enjoyed the storylines and the plot. Sadly, I deliberation his main interest present is this is conscionable the world we unrecorded in. He’s conscionable disquieted astir information and pushback and not wanting to gully excessively overmuch attraction to maine oregon the family. I deliberation that’s benignant of a emblematic effect you get from kids. He’s really go overmuch person to his Judaism and his heritage. And helium had his barroom mitzvah successful Israel past year. He’s wanted to spell to synagogue much and he’s truly taken a heavy dive into his culture, which we’re precise arrogant of.