IYSH centers around a Jewish medical student and a fashion designer in 1940s Germany who face their worst fears when their lives are upended by Nazi forces. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

My wife and I have traveled to many parts of Europe, the Mediterranean countries, and several times to Israel. The places mentioned in the novel, cities, and a Kibbutz in Israel have all been visited by us. Hence, we have experienced firsthand the historical and current lifestyles prevailing in that part of the world. From my teenage years, I have always had an interest in the events that took place during the Second World War; I studied extensively the characters of the generals, battles, and how the world was drawn into this conflict. All the while, I had the overriding conviction that the war was not only about Germany conquering Europe and the rest of the world, but that there was a satanic influence that spearheaded the origins of the conflict, namely the eradication of God’s chosen people, the Jews.

At the age of 27, I was ordained as a Christian minister and continued with my interests in the Jewish people, in particular during the time of the war. That led me to study the Diaspora and the settlement of the Jews throughout Europe. It was during the 1970s and 1980s that I read about the trials and struggles many Jews experienced during the war, as well as how many Christians did things secretly to help them.

Then one morning, as I was reading the Bible, I came across this verse in Ezekiel 22:30 that said, So I sought a man among them who would make a wall and stand in the gap before Me . . . I researched the word “man” and found the translation to mean “champion.” I received the revelation that God wasn’t looking for an ordinary man to stand in the gap but that He needed a “champion.” That took me to events that many people experienced during the war, namely, they had to “champion the cause” to survive.

I began the journey of creating a story about a Jew and a Christian who did this during the war.

In short, the inspiration for the setup of the story was interlaced with my interests in the events of the war, my interest in the Jews, and the revelation I received about an IYSH – “champion” who would survive against the worst odds possible.

How did you approach writing scenes of persecution and displacement with both honesty and care?

I read about the many and varied persecutions people suffered during the war, and I wanted to explain how so many endured through it. I tried not get too gruesome and emotional about these scenes, always trying to balance the suffering with the characters’ endurance and tenacity that was propelled by their inner conviction that they should “champion the cause.” While some of the trials they experienced were common to most who were taken prisoners, the events I created were all my own thoughts. Scenes when Leo’s family was shot and killed in front of him, the suffering on the train ride to the camps, the arrests in the farmhouse, how Leo had his left hand amputated, and the tragic shooting that cost him his life were done to express the emotional roller coaster ride many experienced in the “heat of the battle.”

Sitting in a chair typing a story should never be influenced by the affluence the writer has while describing a horrific scene. Either too much gruesome explanation is given, or too little suffering is explored, leaving the reader at a loss about the real essence of the story. Thus, I tried to encase the trauma through the experience with the ever-present reminder that they were “champions” – IYSH who can make it no matter what.

I tried approaching scenes of persecution and displacement with both honesty and care that explained the characters’ reliance on their faith in God, their dedication to being a “champion,” and their care for those around them. Scenes when Ivy, Karen, and her sister form a friendship that transcends the death of one of them and forges an everlasting friendship and partnership in both the bad and the good times. Also, when Leo confides in the Rabbi about his guilt and how he does all he can to help those he believes he turned his back on.

Ivy plays a central role in the emotional arc—what drew you to her story?

It is important that we understand who these two main characters are and how they influenced the story. While living in South Africa, I met Leo Butlion through a business relationship, and over thirteen years, we forged a friendship that had a remarkable impact on my life. I was overly impressed with his uprightness, deeply seated commitment to be honest, and his unwavering integrity that stood the test of time throughout our relationship and his career as an attorney. He was a little older than me, but he always conducted himself with respect for others and gave me advice on issues that helped me during a difficult time in my banking career.

Leo’s wife, Ivy, is a close friend and confidant of my wife, Sandra. She is also an upright and honest person. Her honest approach to life was an example to her family, friends, and the members of the synagogue. Leo is a Jew and active in his synagogue, who has at times brought a word to the congregation. Ivy was a Christian and converted to the Jewish faith. She committed her life to being a faithful wife, mother, and member of her new faith. She was not deformed like the Ivy in the story. I wanted to express Ivy’s tenacious commitment to surviving and based her character on the Ivy we know. I thought the best way was to present her in the novel as someone who could “champion the cause” even with an impediment. I was drawn to present her as the one who could endure trials, always revert to her faith roots, and do what was needed even when faced with the worst challenges to survive. Scenes when she was found hiding in the barn and then taken to the house where Leo was also captured; how she was thrown to the floor and had her prosthesis exposed from under her coat sleeve, demonstrated her ability to act convincingly under the most trying circumstances. Her eventual collapse during the parade ground scene, when she tried to conceal her deformity and fell to the ground, only to be discovered by a guard, and how she conducts herself in the matron’s presence, is an explanation of her character and truthfulness.

What drew me to include her in the story was so that there would be a balance between the faiths, Jewish and Christian. Also, I needed to draw a parallel between the suffering and endurance that both men and women experienced during the war and afterwards. There was a need to balance Leo’s commitment to his medical practice with what Ivy did, namely, her talent as a designer. Both had an unwavering desire to succeed, and Ivy did this even though she was deformed. Her character is intended to bring warmth to the story and a caring that in spite of hardships, one can endure and make it through trials. Molding the novels’ Ivy was made easier when using the Ivy in South Africa as the example to follow.

What do you hope endures from this story in the minds of your readers?

It is my sincere hope that when this story is read, people will have a deeper insight into the trials so many endured during the worst atrocity the world has even known. This should never be removed from our history books, and the story needs to be told to remind future generations of what it took so many to do to survive. Also, it should encourage readers to adopt the attitude that everyone, in spite of their shortcomings, handicaps, and deformities, that all can be a “champion” – IYSH even in the worst of times. This is a story of character, uprightness, integrity, and commitment. All these are so rare in today’s modern society. ​

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