Call Me Back: "Don’t Feed the Lion" — With Yonit Levi & Bianna Golodryga

Bonus episode, released November 16, 2025
Host: Dan Senor
Guests: Yonit Levy (Channel 12 News, Unholy Podcast), Bianna Golodryga (CNN)
Focus: The lived experience of rising antisemitism, its impact on teens, and the journey behind Yonit and Bianna’s new YA novel Don’t Feed the Lion.

Episode Overview

This episode explores the creation and themes of the new young adult novel Don’t Feed the Lion by Yonit Levy and Bianna Golodryga. The discussion moves from the genesis of the book—rooted in personal distress about antisemitism post-October 7, 2023—to the broader challenges of addressing and explaining Jew-hate to young people, particularly against the backdrop of recent global events. The conversation is candid, at times humorous, but resolutely focused on resilience, peoplehood, and the urgent need for resources that help young people face ancient and contemporary forms of hate.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context: Rising Antisemitism in the US and Israel

• Recent events, including the Gaza ceasefire and the US’s push for a lasting security agreement with Israel, provide a backdrop of instability and uncertainty for both countries (00:22–03:24).
• The return of the body of Meni Godard, a hostage murdered by terrorists, underscores the enduring trauma in Israel.
• The episode opens with a candid atmosphere, full of Jewish humor and mutual guilt trips—a tone that permeates the conversation (04:21–05:19).

2. Origins of the Book and the Authors’ Partnership

• Bianna: Their partnership began after years of friendship and professional interaction. The idea for a book emerged directly from their reaction to October 7:

  “Yonita actually went back and saw that it was October 20th that I said we should write a book together.” (05:35)

• The seed of the book was planted a year earlier, when Bianna’s son confronted her with the pain of seeing a favorite sports star (Kyrie Irving) make antisemitic remarks:

  “He asked me… ‘Does he even want me there? Why does he hate me?’ And it was a gut punch. I didn’t know how to answer that question.” (06:59)

• Yonit: The distress was mutual—a sense of being unprepared to explain to their children why people who don’t know them could hate them (09:30).

3. Antisemitism—Old, New, and Personal

• Bianna describes coming to the US as Jewish refugees from the Soviet Union, where antisemitism was institutionalized—her very birth certificate marked “Jew” (10:40).
• In the US, the environment felt safer, but there were still ever-present guards and occasional bomb threats during Jewish gatherings (10:40–12:05).
• The change post-October 7 was “like a dam breaking”—not new, but suddenly mainstream and more unabashed:

  “I felt at the time that we were going through one heartbreak on October 7, and then another heartbreak on October 8, which was the antisemitism. And we were woefully unprepared for both.” (09:30)

4. Why Write a Book for Young People?

• Schools often lack resources—or the will—to address antisemitism directly:

  “I was shocked to hear that they don’t [have resources on antisemitism]... At this age, we wait for kids to ask questions in class and maybe we’ll address it then… What ten-year-old’s gonna raise their hand and ask about antisemitism?” (07:23)

• The book is set in 2022, deliberately avoiding the direct Israel-Palestine conflict, to show “this is an age-old hatred. It predates October 7th. It definitely predates the State of Israel.” (14:37)

5. Plot and Protagonists: Art Imitating Life

• The novel’s central incident is inspired by Bianna’s experience with her son and Kyrie Irving—a favorite sports star making antisemitic remarks (12:19).
• Yonit: The children’s responses in the story are wide-ranging—denial, humor, fighting back—and mirror real-life Jewish kids’ coping mechanisms.

6. Failures of Institutions and Gatekeepers

• There is a perceived overconfidence that American institutions will protect Jews, a belief shattered in recent years:

  “I think they also didn’t think antisemitism rose to the level of urgency as other forms of hate did. And thus when you have the combination of these two, it just festers and is ignored…” (16:43)

• Responses to antisemitic incidents are superficial; assemblies, platitudes, and then “it will all go away” (16:43–18:08).

7. Normalization & Acceleration via Social Media

• Yonit: Social media is “both a mirror and an accelerant.” It normalizes and amplifies antisemitism, creating legitimacy for hateful ideas (19:08).
• The book’s characters—particularly Annie, the protagonist’s sister—experience how quickly online hate can become pervasive and personal (19:08).

8. Jew-Hate Masked as Anti-Zionism

• Dan: The book presents antisemitism overtly, but much modern hate is coded as anti-Zionism—“I don’t have a problem with Jews, but…” (20:22).
• Bianna: Condemning or supporting Israel has become a “purity test” for being a “good Jew.” There’s a clear double standard—no one questions Russia or China’s right to exist, but Israel’s very existence is up for debate (21:01; 23:58).
• Yonit: Diaspora and Israeli Jewish identities are inextricably linked; to claim otherwise is both ahistorical and disingenuous (22:51).

9. Publishing Challenges & Demand for Resources

• The authors faced resistance and indifference from publishers—advised to “come back in a year or two,” as talk of antisemitism was deemed too fraught (26:38).
• Bianna:

  “We said, let’s write the book we couldn’t find… The supply-demand model—there was clearly a demand, a need for this book.” (26:38)

10. Jewish Peoplehood and Israeli-Diaspora Bonds

• Dan: Israelis have historically seen themselves as separate from, not part of, global Jewish peoplehood. Has this changed?
• Yonit:

  “The bond between us…could be a complicated one… but I think that bond has grown in a way that I don’t think we’ll go back on that. I really don’t.” (30:00)

• The trauma and resilience from October 7th have made Israelis “a much more… sadder nation and more apprehensive one, and also a more resilient one.” (31:15)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jewish humor on guilt & grudges:
  “Well, you didn’t invite me, Dan, but thank you for doing it. Now. That was a very Jewish thing to say.” — Yonit (04:21)
  “I do hold grudges, by the way.” — Yonit (04:37)
  “Can I just say, this is the most Jewish introduction I’ve ever seen.” — Bianna (04:38)

• On institutional failures:
  “I was shocked to hear that they don’t [address antisemitism]... I’m just realistically thinking what 10 year old’s going to raise their hand and ask about antisemitism?” — Bianna (07:23)

• On the double standard:
  “No serious person is saying Russia doesn’t have a right to exist as its own country… And yet that is being asked of us ally.” — Bianna (23:58)

• On social media:
  “It is a mirror. But it’s also an accelerant...” — Yonit (19:08)

• On trauma and endurance:
  “We have physically been running… a marathon for two years relentlessly… we stopped running… you can breathe a little, but your whole body still hurts… We are a country deeply, deeply traumatized…” — Yonit (31:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:22] — Scene setting: global political context, host/guest introductions
• [05:35] — Birth of the book idea: personal anguish, friendship, and the Kyrie Irving incident
• [09:30] — Unprepared for “the second heartbreak” of antisemitism
• [12:19] — Book’s premise: sports idol’s antisemitic comment as plot catalyst
• [14:37] — Rationale for setting book pre-October 7th; eternal nature of Jew-hate
• [16:43] — Institutional weaknesses and superficial responses to antisemitism
• [19:08] — Social media’s role in fueling antisemitic memes
• [21:01] — Anti-Zionism as the new cover for Jew-hate, double standards
• [26:38] — Challenges getting the book published, lack of resources for kids
• [30:00] — The evolving sense of Jewish peoplehood, Israeli-Diaspora relations
• [31:15] — Israel’s trauma, resilience, and current national mood
• [33:29] — Dan’s and his son’s praise for the book; call to action for listeners

Tone and Takeaways

• The conversation weaves lightness, humor, and warmth with gravity and urgency.
• There’s shared frustration about gatekeepers—be they school administrators or publishers—failing to acknowledge and combat antisemitism with the seriousness it deserves.
• The core message is one of hope and resilience: Don’t Feed the Lion is intended as a resource—and a comfort—for young people struggling to understand and cope with antisemitism today.
• The authors urge listeners to get the book into the hands of both Jewish and non-Jewish kids, highlighting its scarcity and unique role.

Final Thought: “Can I say something after loading you up with so much Jewish guilt? … Just to say a very big thank you, Dan....” — Yonit (33:29)

Link to the book is available in the show notes.