Back on the book talk circuit. This time, in Halifax at the Beth Israel Synagogue, December 5, 2024 at 7 PM. Hope to see you there!
“Cry of the Giraffe – and After…”
An Ethiopian Jewish child, trapped for years in brutal slavery, is redeemed from captivity by an Israeli journalist. Cry of the Giraffe, based on a true story, is set against the background of a violent civil war, and comes at a time when Israel was airlifting thousands of Ethiopian Jews through a series of daring, life-saving airlifts. Judie Oron, the journalist in question, will speak about how she got involved in Wuditu’s story, how those hair-raising events unfolded, and, after the child’s redemption, what came next?
Cry of the Giraffe's literary year started off BRITISH, returned to Toronto, traveled to ISRAEL for an exciting anniversary and then headed to Ottawa.
For Judie's talks, for two UN Affiliates' Ambassador for Peace Award and for an eventful meeting with abolitionist and former Canadian MP Joy Smith, see the awards/reviews page.
For news about CAGE: the Campaign against Abuses of Girls in Ethiopia please see the invite Judie to speak page.
Cry of the Giraffe (Annick Press) is an award-winning book based on the true story of an Ethiopian Jewish teenager named Wuditu*, who, together with her younger sister, Lewteh*, was separated from her family in a violent incident in a refugee camp in Sudan. While the two young girls were being forcibly returned to Ethiopia, the rest of their family members were rescued from the refugee camp and flown via a secret airlift to Israel.
Circumstances forced the two girls to separate. Lewteh* survived and was reunited with her family. Alone at 13 years old, Wuditu* struggled to find work and a way back to her family but was unwittingly trapped into slavery. The book tells of her fight to stay alive in wartorn Ethiopia, until a stranger unexpectedly came to free her.
"I can still feel her breathing," Lewteh* insisted.
Circumstances forced the two girls to separate. Lewteh* survived and was reunited with her family. Alone at 13 years old, Wuditu* struggled to find work and a way back to her family but was unwittingly trapped into slavery. The book tells of her fight to stay alive in wartorn Ethiopia, until a stranger unexpectedly came to free her.
"I can still feel her breathing," Lewteh* insisted.
Judie Oron is a journalist , award-winning author and former Director of the 'Jerusalem Post' newspaper's charitable Funds. During the clandestine airlifts of Ethiopian Jews to Israel, Judie traveled to Ethiopia, encountered a lost child, Lewteh*, and took her into her family. Years later, she discovered that Lewteh* had a sister, whom the child believed might still be alive. Judie went into war-torn Ethiopia to find Wuditu* and to free her from slavery. Cry of the Giraffe is based on Wuditu's* story, told in her voice.
Since publication, Judie has been speaking out about the thousands of girls in Ethiopia who have suffered fates like Wuditu's - or worse! To schedule a talk with Judie, please see the Invite Judie to Speak button above. You can help by reading about child slavery, child early marriage, bride kidnapping and fistula - all in Ethiopia. And after you have, please tell your friends and family about what you've learned. We need to get the facts out into the public forum!
Awards and Citations for Cry of the Giraffe: USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor List; Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens Award; White Ravens Collection, International Youth Library, Munich; Amelia Bloomer Project List, American Libary Association ; YALSA Hidden Gems, American Library Association; Canadian Children's Book Centre, Best Books for Kids and Teens; The Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Award; the Women's Federation for World Peace and the Universal Peace Federation, two United Nations affiliates, awarded Judie the prestigious "Ambassador for Peace' award at a ceremony in Ottawa, Canada on May 30, 2014.
CRY OF THE GIRAFFE author, Judie Oron has spoken at Library of Congress in WASHINGTON, in BRITAIN and at THE JERUSALEM INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR'S prestigious 'LITERARY CAFE.' And now she's headed to Ottawa, Canada. Click on the EVENTS PAGE above for Judie's talks and for upcoming events. For her interview with radio and TV personality, Gail Vaz-Oxlade and for Annick Press's story about her appearance at the Jerusalem International Book Fair: http://annickpressblog.blogspot.ca/2013/03/judie-oron-at-jerusalem-book-fair.html.
Foreign Sales: Annick Press has licensed the English language rights for Cry of the Giraffe for the territories of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh to Om Books International. In addition, Annick Press has sold the Hebrew language rights for Cry of the Giraffe to Hakkibutz Hameuhad-Sifryat Hapoalim Publications Ltd, Israel.
AVAILABILITY - Cry of the Giraffe can be found at Amazon in Canada, the US and the UK, it can be ordered at independent bookstores in Canada, the US and UK, at Chapters/Indigo branches in Canada and at Barnes and Nobles in the US. As an e-book, it can be ordered through: Amazon, Kobo, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Blio, OverDrive and Follett.
A cover story about Cry of the Giraffe in the Jerusalem Post magazine: http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Features/Article.aspx?id=307976&prmusr=wVTqfIrJL0KCJAQryb2GMQwqUicdkTpZxpvsHaXLUBZu5MaW%2FjZ%2BdREYIUVQNh5D
http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Features/Article.aspx?id=307976&prmusr=wVTqfIrJL0KCJAQryb2GMQwqUicdkTpwww.jpost.com
Craig Kielburger, co-founder, Free the Children, tweets: http://twitter.com/#!/craigkielburger/status/26750921276
Judie's talk on the 20th anniversary of Operation Solomon, the airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in May 1991. Photo by Krystyna Lagowski: http://annickpressblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/event-wrap-up-operation-solomon-20th.html
For a news report about Judie's talk at Library of Congress in Washington, post this link in your browser: http://www.examiner.com/article/author-told-library-of-congress-about-rescuing-ethiopian-jewish-girl-slave
*The girl's names have been changed to protect their privacy. (author photo by Simon Tanenbaum)
Site designed by Judie Oron. Copyright reserved, Judie Oron, 2010
Since publication, Judie has been speaking out about the thousands of girls in Ethiopia who have suffered fates like Wuditu's - or worse! To schedule a talk with Judie, please see the Invite Judie to Speak button above. You can help by reading about child slavery, child early marriage, bride kidnapping and fistula - all in Ethiopia. And after you have, please tell your friends and family about what you've learned. We need to get the facts out into the public forum!
Awards and Citations for Cry of the Giraffe: USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor List; Sydney Taylor Notable Book for Teens Award; White Ravens Collection, International Youth Library, Munich; Amelia Bloomer Project List, American Libary Association ; YALSA Hidden Gems, American Library Association; Canadian Children's Book Centre, Best Books for Kids and Teens; The Helen and Stan Vine Canadian Jewish Book Award; the Women's Federation for World Peace and the Universal Peace Federation, two United Nations affiliates, awarded Judie the prestigious "Ambassador for Peace' award at a ceremony in Ottawa, Canada on May 30, 2014.
CRY OF THE GIRAFFE author, Judie Oron has spoken at Library of Congress in WASHINGTON, in BRITAIN and at THE JERUSALEM INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR'S prestigious 'LITERARY CAFE.' And now she's headed to Ottawa, Canada. Click on the EVENTS PAGE above for Judie's talks and for upcoming events. For her interview with radio and TV personality, Gail Vaz-Oxlade and for Annick Press's story about her appearance at the Jerusalem International Book Fair: http://annickpressblog.blogspot.ca/2013/03/judie-oron-at-jerusalem-book-fair.html.
Foreign Sales: Annick Press has licensed the English language rights for Cry of the Giraffe for the territories of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh to Om Books International. In addition, Annick Press has sold the Hebrew language rights for Cry of the Giraffe to Hakkibutz Hameuhad-Sifryat Hapoalim Publications Ltd, Israel.
AVAILABILITY - Cry of the Giraffe can be found at Amazon in Canada, the US and the UK, it can be ordered at independent bookstores in Canada, the US and UK, at Chapters/Indigo branches in Canada and at Barnes and Nobles in the US. As an e-book, it can be ordered through: Amazon, Kobo, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Blio, OverDrive and Follett.
A cover story about Cry of the Giraffe in the Jerusalem Post magazine: http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Features/Article.aspx?id=307976&prmusr=wVTqfIrJL0KCJAQryb2GMQwqUicdkTpZxpvsHaXLUBZu5MaW%2FjZ%2BdREYIUVQNh5D
http://www.jpost.com/Magazine/Features/Article.aspx?id=307976&prmusr=wVTqfIrJL0KCJAQryb2GMQwqUicdkTpwww.jpost.com
Craig Kielburger, co-founder, Free the Children, tweets: http://twitter.com/#!/craigkielburger/status/26750921276
Judie's talk on the 20th anniversary of Operation Solomon, the airlift of Ethiopian Jews to Israel in May 1991. Photo by Krystyna Lagowski: http://annickpressblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/event-wrap-up-operation-solomon-20th.html
For a news report about Judie's talk at Library of Congress in Washington, post this link in your browser: http://www.examiner.com/article/author-told-library-of-congress-about-rescuing-ethiopian-jewish-girl-slave
*The girl's names have been changed to protect their privacy. (author photo by Simon Tanenbaum)
Site designed by Judie Oron. Copyright reserved, Judie Oron, 2010