I’m completing a young adult historical novel inspired by my PBS documentary Exodus 1947, narrated by Morley Safer and funded in part by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg, and the Maryland Humanities Council.

For the past four years, I’ve been living inside this manuscript. At 55,000 words, it is now written—and entering its final professional stage: line editing.

This is the phase where language sharpens, pacing tightens, and character arcs deepen before I begin querying literary agents. I’m raising $5,000 to fund that work.

(You can learn more about the original documentary at www.exodus1947.com.)

The novel centers on Cy Weinstein, a real crew member from the Exodus voyage. In the film, his appearance was brief. But I couldn’t let him go.

A Brooklyn kid. A talented artist. A Merchant Marine during WWII. A survivor of childhood polio.

In the novel, Cy is a former “golden boy” derailed by illness and determined to prove he still matters. He joins the refugee ship believing it will restore his sense of worth. Instead, the voyage strips him of illusion and forces him to confront ego, responsibility, and what belonging actually costs.

This is not a nostalgic retelling.

It’s a coming-of-age story set inside one of the most consequential refugee crises of the twentieth century—told through a young man who is flawed, striving, and unsure of himself.

Why This Story Now

The Exodus voyage helped shift global opinion about displaced Jews after World War II. It exposed what happens when refugees are turned away.

Today, conversations about displacement, identity, and belonging are again urgent and contested. Young readers are encountering these debates without historical grounding.

This novel offers a human lens into a moment when the world failed refugees—and shows how ordinary young people were forced to decide who they would become under pressure.

History is not abstract. It is lived by imperfect people making imperfect choices.

I’m inviting a small circle of early supporters to help bring this manuscript to its final form. Professional line editing for a book of this length typically costs between $5,000 and $7,000. This campaign funds that critical stage.

If this story—and the continuation of the Exodus legacy—matters to you, I hope you’ll consider joining me at this pivotal moment.

Thank you for being part of the journey.