Oranges from Jaffa

A true story about the end of the golden age of Palestine – by Nadine Sayegh

German Version

Nadine Sayegh

Nadine Sayegh was born in Beyrouth, grew up in Vienna, studied Business Administration at McGill University in Canada and worked for over twenty years as a Manager for Coca-Cola in Europe in the areas of Finance, Risk Management and Human Resources.

She now lives in Vienna with her family.

Nadine Sayegh standing in front of her grand-parents house in Jaffa.

Oranges from Jaffa

Oranges from Jaffa is the coming-of-age story of Nicolas Sayegh, a Palestinian »Tom Sawyer«, who together with his friends roams the sun-drenched streets of 1940’s Jaffa, this ancient Arab city fragrant with the smell of orange blossoms. Nicolas’ carefree childhood however comes to an abrupt end in the spring of 1948, when his family and many others have to flee, as Jaffa is surrendered to its new Jewish rulers. Oranges from Jaffa paints the life and culture of a well-to-do Palestinian family and Jaffa society as a whole, shortly before the occupation and the creation of the state of Israel, in a whole new way. A true story and a novel against oblivion. Written by Nicolas’s daughter.

Protagonists from the story

Bechara Sayegh

(Protagonist)

Badia Zarifeh as a young woman

Nicolas‘s grand- mother

Jaffa, early 1900‘s

Salim Zarifeh as a young Man

Nicolas‘s grandfather

Jaffa 1901

Salim & Badia Zarifeh with their son Jean

Nicolas‘s maternal grandparents

Jaffa ca. 1910

The Zarifeh Children Jean, Emilie, Alice & Rose

Jaffa ca. early 1920‘s

Nicolas‘s uncle, aunts and mother

Nicolas Sayegh as an infant

Jaffa 1937

Nicolas Sayegh as a young man

Beirut ca. 1960

Events and book readings

Vienna Festival Weeks
THE HYPOCRISY OF THE WELL-MEANING
The Viennese Trials | 15.06.2024
https://www.festwochen.at/die-heuchelei-der-gutmeinenden

ORF kulturMontag
TV Interview (in German) | 18.03.2024
„Boykott statt Dialog“
https://tvthek.orf.at/profile/kulturMontag/13886866/kulturMontag-vom-18-03-2024/14218403/Boykott-statt-Dialog/15600501

3 SAT Kulturzeit  
TV Interview (in German) | 01.03.2024
Nadine Sayegh about the war in Gaza
Nach dem Tod von zahlreichen Menschen bei der Ankunft von Lebensmittelhilfen in der Stadt Gaza haben Politiker weltweit Aufklärung von Israel gefordert und ihr Entsetzen geäußert. Wir sprechen mit der Autorin Nadine Sayegh über die Situation in Gaza.
https://www.3sat.de/kultur/kulturzeit/nadine-sayegh-ueber-den-gaza-krieg-100.html

 

Pro und Contra | Puls 4 TV panel discussion (in German) | 28.11.2023 Ceasefire-in-Middle-East-Peace-negotiations-or-destruction-Hamas? https://www.puls4.com/tv/pro-und-contra/staffel-05/episode-41/feuerpause-in-nahost-frieden-verhandeln-oder-hamas-zerstoeren

Jewish Museum | Hohenems
Reading from „Oranges from Jaffa“ (in German) | 19. 09. 2023
jm-hohenems.at/veranstaltungen

Or Chadasch | Reformed Synagogue | Vienna
Panel discussion (in German)  | 04.06. 2023
Flight and Exile – Palestinian voices in Austria
New Israel Fund (NIF) | Bruno Kreisky Forum 

„Bitter oranges – We made the desert bloom“ | May 2023
Die Krähe – Investigative magazine | Article (in German)
View Article

“The voice of the others” | April 2023
Nunu Jewish magazine for politics and culture | Article (in German)
https://nunu.at/artikel/die-stimmen-der-anderen/

Image: ©KASHFI HALFORD/CC BY-NC 2.0

United Nations
Memories of the Nakba and its impact on Palestinians
A discussion with author Nadine Sayegh | Virtual Event (in English) | 15.03. 2023
Memories of the Nakba and its impact on Palestinians: A discussion with author Nadine Sayegh – Virtual Event

Literaturhaus | Mattersburg
Book reading and conversation with Nadine Sayegh (in German) | 07.03.2023
https://www.literaturhausmattersburg.at/programm/2023/orangen-aus-jaffa/
Nadine Sayegh, Nicolas Sayegh
Foto: Lukas Beck

Bruno Kreisky Forum for international dialogue | Vienna
Jaffa – Yesterday and today (in English) | 03.11.2022
Panel discussion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUISnaiAx5k

Palestine Museum US | Virtual US Book Launch Event
 „Oranges from Jaffa,“ by Nadine Sayegh (in English) | 10.07.2022

 

Willy Brandt Center | Jerusalem
English Version Book launch (in English) | 20.06.2022
Facebook Posting

„There are no more orange trees – When Palestinians where still at home in Jaffa“ (in German) | 22.11.2021
Kurier Newspaper | Article

Kurier – „Die Orangenbäume gibt es nicht mehr“ – Als Palästinenser in Jaffa zu Hause waren

„Orangen aus Jaffa“ is a bestseller! | Austria (in German) | October 2021
Ranked 8th. in „Top 10 bestseller list“
Show full article

Morawa Bookstore | Vienna
Book presentation and reading from “Orangen aus Jaffa” (In German) | 14.10.2021
Thalia Bookstore (biggest bookstore in Austria) | Vienna
Book launch and reading from “Orangen aus Jaffa” (In German) | 22.09.2021

Imprint

Nadine Sayegh (C) 2023

orangesfromjaffa@gmail.com

1030 Wien

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