Socol Speaker Series: Don’t Feed the Lion with Bianna Golodryga and Wolf Blitzer

Presented in Partnership with Books & Books

Join us at The Hub for our next Socol Speaker Series in partnership with Books & Books, focusing on Don’t Feed the Lion by Bianna Golodryga and Yonit Levi. The evening will feature a conversation between CNN’s Bianna Golodryga and Wolf Blitzer. With unexpected twists and compelling characters, Don’t Feed the Lion explores how young people grapple with antisemitism, prejudice, allyship, and the courage to speak up. Don’t Feed the Lion is geared toward readers ages 8 to 12 years old and this conversation is for young people and adults alike as we convene an important conversation on combating antisemitism. We encourage parents and caregivers to bring their young readers for a meaningful night at The Hub.

The first 225 tickets reserved that would like a book for their household will receive a free copy of Don’t Feed the Lion, compliments of Howard and Sharon Socol.

About Don’t Feed the Lion:
Annie and Theo Kaplan have a family ritual: every Friday night they celebrate Shabbat with their energetic, immigrant grandparents. But this Shabbat, which happens to fall on Annie’s eleventh birthday, isn’t like the others. Thirteen-year-old Theo’s soccer hero—Wes Mitchell—has posted an antisemitic message that quickly goes viral, leaving his parents disgusted, his sister enraged, and Theo himself clobbered by a torrent of confusion, anger, sadness, and a deep desire to just ignore it.

Antisemitism quickly affects the entire Kaplan family in various ways. Theo’s teammates think Mitchell’s comments were no big deal, and Theo notices an uptick in anti-Jewish commentary around school. A rare act of rebellion draws Annie into the fray, and a new classmate shows that ignoring pain is no way to get through it.

With unexpected twists and compelling characters, Don’t Feed the Lion explores how young people grapple with prejudice, allyship, and the courage to speak up. It asks readers of all backgrounds: What will you do when it’s your turn to choose?

About Bianna Golodryga:
Bianna Golodryga is an Emmy® Award-winning journalist. Based in New York, she anchors “One World with Zain Asher and Bianna Golodryga” weekdays at 11 am ET on CNN International and CNN Max and is CNN’s senior global affairs analyst.

Golodryga has reported extensively on Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, helped lead CNN’s extensive Russia-related coverage, and regularly fills in as host of signature CNN programs, including “Amanpour” and “Fareed Zakaria GPS.”

Golodryga lives in New York with her husband, Peter Orszag, and their children.

About Wolf Blitzer:
Wolf Blitzer is co-anchor of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown, which airs weekdays from 10amET to 12pmET, and provides viewers with in-depth reports about the political, international and breaking news stories of the day. Blitzer has been with CNN for 35 years.

Tickets: Free with RSVP; first 225 tickets secured include a copy of Don’t Feed the Lion, compliments of Sharon and Howard Socol