The Watchmakers: A Powerful WW2 Story of Brotherhood, Survival, and Hope Amid the Holocaust

by Harry Lenga, Scott Lenga

2022 National Jewish Book Award Finalist“Inspiring. Exhilarating. Astonishing. An epic tale of brotherhood, ingenuity, and survival.” —Heather Dune Macadam, International Bestselling author of 999: The Extraordinary Young Women of the First Official Jewish Transport to AuschwitzTold through meticulous interviews with his son, this is an extraordinary memoir of endurance, faith, and a unique skill that kept three brothers together—and alive—during the darkest times of World War II.“A truly extraordinary book.” —Damien Lewis, #1 international bestselling author Harry Lenga was born to a family of Chassidic Jews in Kozhnitz, Poland. The proud sons of a watchmaker, Harry and his two brothers, Mailekh and Moishe, studied their father’s trade at a young age. Upon the German invasion of Poland, when the Lenga family was upended, Harry and his brothers never anticipated that the tools acquired from their father would be the key to their survival.   Under the most devastating conditions imaginable—with death always imminent—fixing watches for the Germans in the ghettos and brutal slave labor camps of occupied Poland and Austria bought their lives over and over again. From Wolanow and Starachowice to Auschwitz and Ebensee, Harry, Mailekh, and Moishe endured, bartered, worked, prayed, and lived to see liberation.   Derived from more than a decade of interviews with Harry Lenga, conducted by his own son Scott and others, The Watchmakers is Harry’s heartening and unflinchingly honest first-person account of his childhood, the lessons learned from his own father, his harrowing tribulations, and his inspiring life before, during, and after the war. It is a singular and vital story, told from one generation to the next—and a profoundly moving tribute to brotherhood, fatherhood, family, and faith.“Deeply moving.” —Jesse Kellerman, bestselling author“Vivid and compelling.” —Christopher R. Browning, Frank Porter Graham Professor of History Emeritus, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and author of Ordinary Men

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Holocaust, Memoir, Biography, World War II, War

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2022

About the author

Harry Lenga was born in 1919 to a family of Chassidic Jews in Kozhnitz, Poland, where his father taught him and his brothers the watchmaking trade that would save their lives during the war. Harry was working in Warsaw when the Germans invaded Poland in 1939, and escaped from the Warsaw Ghetto in 1941 to reunite with his family in the Kozhnitz Ghetto. The night before the Germans murdered its entire Jewish population—including his remaining family members—Harry and two of his brothers escaped Kozhnitz to a nearby Polish-run labor camp. From there, the three brothers were transported between 1942 and 1945 to the camps in Wolanow, Starachowice, and Auschwitz, and then to the Austrian concentration camps of Mauthausen, Melk, and Ebensee. All three brothers were liberated by the U.S. Army on May 6, 1945. In 1949, Harry immigrated to St. Louis, Missouri, where he married, had three sons, and went on to have grandchildren. He continued working as a watchmaker for nearly thirty years before retiring and later moving with his wife to Israel. Harry Lenga died on January 2, 2000 at the age of eighty.

Reviews

[Stacey B · Rating 5 out of 5]

5.0
updated 1-2023
second read

"From the beginning until the end, we knew that Hitler’s Germany had to be destroyed. But the question was, would he destroy us first? And that was our struggle—to outplay him."
- Harry Lenga

-To: the Author
Dear Mr. Lenga,
It's been said that when comments written by a reader are too long, viewers sometimes lose their interest, but I have to take that chance.
Over the years of reading hundreds of books on related subjects and themes, I wasn't sure another read would be in my best interest, at least for the time being.
But friends intervened saying this is a must read for me. Thankfully I became relieved when recognizing many horrific and dehumanizing acts were not included.
The book for me isn't about continuous torture or death marches; it's about the strong will and determination of your father Harry and his brothers to survive, which you capture so well.
- "Yes, its that good" :)
And so.. I learned how the Lenga watchmaking family constructed makeshift tools and began to conduct business with prisoners and Nazi guards in return for medicine, food, and a few more favors hoping for another day of life.
One of the most miraculous accountings that plays throughout this book was Harry's clever strategies he devised in keeping he and brothers together as a family throughout the war.
Harry was an insightful man before, during, and after the war. I can only assume he was straightforward with his words and minced nothing.
It must have been quite hard on your heart as you listened to your father record these stories from his past and yet again as you transcribed them to print.
And by the way, your writing is in a straightforward manner which I appreciate, and it's obvious this book required no filler.
You and your father understood this book was to be insurance for not only your family's future, but for all; to learn the the ability of recognizing red flags. I am of similar thought as being a firm believer that in order to know the future, read and know your history. No culture is exempt. History repeats itself just as we are seeing now; showing itself in different forms.
You wrote....."As far back as I can remember, my dad insisted that something like the Shoah could happen again in America or.."

I saw the story the NYT wrote about you in April including an interview. One paragraph in particular touched my heartstrings.
The question : "Did your father instill in you a love for watchmaking?" -Ha, fair question!
The answer : " He instilled in me a love for what watchmaking represented for him, which in a way was life itself. I certainly don’t look at watches the same as anybody else now. Growing up I viewed them with a utilitarian attitude, but now I look at them and I see my father’s story."
I happen to be a watch freak. It's a funny thing finding out what if any book will affect you. . I have to say that most days when putting on my watch, for only that one split second- I think about Harry.
In closing, I am looking forward to your next book waiting in the wings.
My friends were correct Scott. Reading this book "was" in my best interest.
Thank you for an outstanding story.
With respect,
Stacey

" The schools will fail through their silence, the Church through it's forgiveness,
and the home through the denial and the silence of parents.
The new generation has to hear what the older generation refuses to tell."
-Simon Wiesenthal

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a challenging book for me to review. The subject matter is one that I've never paid that much attention to except for what we needed to learn in school. I have no idea why I chose this ARC, but it must have been something/someone who wanted me to know more about these atrocities. Or maybe Karma?


This story is told in a very even almost unemotional way. There was no histrionics in the telling-just plain simple truth. Don't get me wrong, there is some humor mixed in with the horror, but it is very dark humor.

So not only is this a history of being a Jew at this time and the horrors of the camps, but it is also a story of what optimism can do for a person. I'm going to take this wisdom to heart.

The voice of this historically specific book was spot on-I could see in my mind's eye Mr. Harry Lenga sitting in front of me telling me his horrible story. I could feel him. This brought all the horrors of Auschwitz and Treblinka to the fore. I could only read this book in brief spurts, or I got a bit over-emotional. Learning about the Chassidic Jews in Kozhnitz, Poland, was an education. Understanding the fate of Jews and others in many other bordering countries was eye-opening for me. My education has been sorely lacking.

If I have one complaint is that I would have loved to see the timeline of England and America during these horrid years and what they were doing to stop this atrocity. Apparently, via my research, there wasn't much they could do. Quoted from https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/ "The United States entered World War II in December 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. By 1943, the American press carried a number of reports about the ongoing mass murder of Jews. Although the United States could have done more to aid the victims of Nazi Germany and its collaborators, large-scale rescue was impossible by the time the United States entered the war."


For more information on Mr. Lenga, see this link - https://stlholocaustmuseum.org/oral-h... and also - https://stljewishlight.org/arts-enter...

Please don't ignore the footnote numbers. I did thinking that they wouldn't work on my Kindle, but sadly I found out too late that they do work.

*ARC provided by the publisher Kensington Books/Citadel Press, the author, and NetGalley.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this through a goodreads giveaway. Thank you Citadel Press, Kensington Books, and Penguin Random House.

This book was amazing and told in a first person account. This memoir, in my opinion ranks up there with “Escape From Sobibor” and “The Diary of Anne Frank”.

If Holocaust Studies, and if you have any other interest in the Holocaust, read this memoir.

We can only learn from tragedies from the past, in the hopes that they will never be repeated again.

[Corina Dabija · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cu toții am auzit măcar o singură dată fraza: Istoria este scrisă de învingători. În realitate, cred că victimele sunt cele care scriu istorie, lasă mărturii, fie ele chiar și subiective, dar atât de importante pentru un demers analitic. Ei, oamenii care trec prin tăvălugul evenimentelor, care resimt impactul fiecărei schimbări socio – politice, economice, sunt cei care ne oferă o viziune de ansamblu asupra celor mai importante lecții pe care ni le-a oferit trecutul. Acum, când izbucnirile naționaliste și extremiste câștigă teren din ce în ce mai mare, este momentul să citim despre cum ideologiile rasiste, xenofobe au încercat să câștige dominația la nivel global și care a fost impactul acestora asupra destinelor umane. O astfel de carte este volumul „Ceasornicarii” de Harry Lenga și Scott Lenga, tradus în 2022, la Editura Polirom.

Dar haideți să o începem cu începutul, pentru o mai bună înțelegere contextuală a cărții. Harry Lenga, pe numele său evreiesc Iehiel Ben Țion, sau pe scurt Hill, s-a născut în familia unor evrei hasidici, într-o localitate numită Kojniț, la 80 de kilometri de Varșovia. Tatăl acestuia, ceasornicar de profesie, pe numele său Mihoel Lenga se mută în acest orășel, deoarece exista o comunitate hasidică impresionantă aici și își putea urma stilul prescris de canoanele acestei secte. Pentru detaliere, hasidismul a fost un curent inovator al gândirii și vieții comunității evreiești, apărut în Polonia la sfârșitul secolului al XVIII-lea. El se bazează deopotrivă pe teama și pe iubirea față de Dumnezeu și constă în angajamentul individului la nivelul actelor, în relația pe care o are cu Dumnezeu. Harry este, deci, crescut în frică de Dumnezeu, cu profunde frici incubate de un tată autoritar, care, văduvit mult prea devreme, preferă să se lege strâns de învățăturile religiei practicate, iar Hill și frații săi sunt nevoiți să se adapteze și să crească după buchia celor sfinte.

Volumul surprinde atât perioada interbelică de după Marele Război, cât mai ales tendințele antisemite care încep să apară în Polonia și să crească tot mai mult, mai ales pe fundalul venirii la putere în Germania a lui Hitler. Hill rememorează pe viu astfel de amintiri:

„Dacă profesorul vedea că elevii evrei luau prea multe puncte într-o competiție, oprea jocul.”

Sau

„…dacă într-o poveste exista un personaj rău îl comparau întotdeauna cu un evreu. Un profesor care ne învăța să folosim uneltele de tâmplărie a explicat clasei că mânerul unei rindele manuale – folosită ca să geluiești o scândură – semăna cu nas evreiesc.”

Antisemitismul era parte din viața de zi cu zi a evreilor, pe care, se pare, nimeni nu-i accepta cu adevărat. Povestitorul nostru menționează o astfel de concluzie, surprinsă în cotidianul său de copil evreu:

Nu era deloc ușor să fii evreu în Polonia, dar pur și simplu trebuia să accepți realitatea. Ți se amintea clipă de clipă că nu faci parte dintre ei. Polonezii ne urau. Toți evreii simțeau acest lucru – chiar și în vremurile bune.

Hill, însă, se detașează ușor de aceste circumstanțe și amintește inclusiv despre ajutorul pe care l-au tot primit din momentul morții mamei sale de la comunitatea hasidică din care făceau parte.

Trecut de adolescență, acesta observă cum se schimbă lumea din jur. Menționează tranziția de la libertate la ghetouri, iar apoi la experiența sa din Auschwitz sau Ebensee. Toată povestirea sa, înțesată cu terminologie evreiască și cu ritualuri desprinse din copilărie, te poartă prin cele mai întunecate hăuri ale istoriei, acolo unde cruzimea și discriminarea dictau regulile.

Avându-i pe ceilalți doi frați ai săi alături, acesta duce o luptă de supraviețuire, muncind exact ceea ce învățase: să repare ceasuri. Acest tic toc care se aude pe fundalul întregii lecturi ne duce cu gândul la efemer și la nevoia impetuoasă de a rămâne om chiar și în acel întuneric.

„Ceasornicarii” este un omagiu adus victimelor, o istorie despre curaj și tenacitate, dar mai ales despre omenie, despre o calitate care fie te condamna la moarte în acele vremuri, fie de salva. Faptul că Scott Lenga, fiul lui Hill (Harry) născut într-o Americă a libertății, a decis să cumuleze toate istoriile tatălui său, mi se pare un gest de responsabilitate față de un trecut despre care nu avem voie să uităm.

[KennytheKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was phenomenal and I it was a great read. Took a while for the book to pick up but that’s the only flaw I have about the book.

[Cynthia Dumarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Powerful Tale of Survival

We are fast approaching a time when there will be no survivors left to share the truths of what happened to the Jewish people during Hitler's regime. This account of three brothers who stuck together, fighting to support each other and hold onto hope under unthinkable conditions should be required reading, lest we forget what atrocities humans are capable of. They say if you forget history you are doomed to repeat it. Well, we don't want to forget this.

[Heather Moll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry Lenga was born to a family of Chassidic Jews in Poland and he and his two brothers studied their father’s watchmaking trade at a young age. Upon the German invasion of Poland, when the Lenga family was upended, Harry and his brothers never anticipated that the tools acquired from their father would be the key to their survival.

It was enlightening to see how the Jewish population lived alongside but separate the Polish one in the early 20th century with the antisemitism that became legalized leading into the years of ww2. In the fall of 1938, Lenga was 19 and starting his career in Warsaw as a watchmaker when Germany’s forces began dropping bombs.

“I imagined that the German aggressors were the common enemy of the Jews and the Poles. This was the first incident showing me that, in this war, the Jews were going to be treated as the common enemy of the Germans and the Poles.”

Laws enacted against the Jews began immediately and Lenga recounts horrific stories even before he as sent to forced labor camps, like how he and other Jews were rounded up off a streetcar not long after the occupation, detained for hours, beaten, ridiculed, and threatened with death if they didn’t report to work. Life was restrictions, starvation, collaborators, violence and Lenga shared harrowing story after harrowing story. The Germans needed his skill and he used his trade throughout the war to keep himself and his brothers alive.

“We heard what had happened already in other towns. The Germans would empty out all the Jews from a town, load them onto trains, take them away, and nothing was heard about them afterward. We were waiting for it to happen to us, but we didn’t actually know what was going on. So, each of us chose what he wanted to believe. The pessimists tried to explain that the Germans would take those people to their deaths, that they were destroying us. But the majority—including my father—were optimists who still couldn’t believe it was possible for human beings to act like that.”

This is a biography written in the style of a memoir. It’s based on recorded interviews of the author’s father but written as though the father was narrating stories of his life. It rambled at times, with appendices, a glossary, and notes taking up the last quarter of the book, but the stories were fascinating and horrifying. The truth about what happened to these people needs to be told. It’s a shocking and a wonderful memoir that everyone should read.

I received an ARC from NetGalley

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a stunning, gutting, incredible read. If someone ever wants to know why we say "Never forget," point them here.

At first I was a little bummed that Scott Lenga wouldn't be the one "telling" the story, simply because his prose in the introduction is so beautiful. BUT, he's absolutely spot on that the story is deeper, more convicting, and more powerful told in his father's words/voice--the actual person experiencing it all. So, I will just have to go find other books by Scott to enjoy more of his writing voice (oh darn :D).

Harry Lenga lived quite a life, and it's captured in #allthedetail here. I particularly appreciated how vocal he was with his family and others, from early on, about his Holocaust experiences. This is definitely not the norm I've seen (and understandably so; true horrors indeed). We really do need to be vocal, and to listen to the stories of those who lived these terrible things, so that we don't forget, nor do we repeat history.

Of course, aspects of the read were entirely difficult to read (as they should be). It's not a light, pre-bedtime topic...but at the risk of repeating myself (heh), it's a necessary one. Just maybe when one is not headed to sleep.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure to be avidly read and shared by everyone who cherishes the authentic voices of those who survived the Shoah. Those voices will soon be silenced; we are near the last generation who will be honored to have survivors in our communities.
Scott Lenga, recorded many hours of testimony from his late father Harry Lenga, who along with his two brothers, survived Auschwitz and other death camps. Using their watchmakers’ skills, tremendous ingenuity and risk taking strategies, they managed to stay together and survive. They were liberated, skeletal survivors, from the Ebensee Camp by American troops in 1945. His father’s words are the ones we read in his own voice. It is his testimony, his memories, his courage and resilience that shine through his clear prose and plaintive voice.
This book shouts out to be read because Harry Lenga’s authentic voice bears powerful testimony that soars above any Shoah fiction that is written today. Scott has provided a detailed glossary of terms plus short essays on Judaic topics that clarify his father’s references in the text and the fabric of day-to-day Jewish life in pre-war Poland. Scott’s skills as an author and editor carry his father’s story into the reader’s heart.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though there are many excellent books about Holocaust survivors, most are written as historical fiction. This book is a memoir, a first hand account of a father, Harry Lenga, telling his son, Scott, stories from his past. I appreciated that he included what life was like for a young Jewish Chassidic boy in a small town in Poland before WWII, and how quickly and dramatically things changed when Germany took over. When he shares about his years when he and his brothers had to quickly learn to survive in brutal concentration camps, including Auschwitz, it is written directly and powerfully, without going into the gruesome details, but conveying both the physically and psychological torture of knowing each day maybe your last. Nevertheless, the book is inspiring in hearing what the human spirit can endure and overcome with determination, love of family, hope, cleverness, and luck. I also liked the books includes when his camp was liberated by the Americans and the challenges of transitioning back to health and normal life and ultimately immigrating to America. So this isn’t a book just the Holocaust, but a book about Harry’s entire life, who lived through some horrific unimaginable experiences, but remained humble and hopeful, and willing to sharing his life lessons with others. Thank you Scott for taking the time to write down your father’s stories. I also appreciated this book includes appendices that explains the history of Chassidic Jews in prewar Poland and a glossary all the Yiddish words used.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially marked this review with spoilers.
As I did remark on a specific incident, this is history and it should be well known that there were atrocities. So I have removed the "spoilers" tag.

This is a book I think all should read. Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.

This book was a glimpse in to an extremely dark and scary time in the world. The three Lenga brothers may not have made it through the war had they not been able to stay together. To be able to use a trade they learned from their father was a true blessing. The bravery it took for them to barter with their captors to use that trade to stay together was amazing and courageous.

One instance of their will to make it through this torturous ordeal was when they got to the Mauthausen concentration camp and were forced to take a hot shower, then brought outside, wet and naked and given no towels. They were forced to stand outside for 3 hours in the freezing cold. Others around them falling out dead. They decided to press their bodies together for warmth, chanting "only a bullet or a gas chamber will kill us" so they could think of something other than the cold. It's so absolutely insane what all of the captive people in the concentration camps had to endure. I'm sure some of them just wanted to give up.

To Harry and Scott Lenga, Thank you for telling us your family's story. May this book be a reminder of how evil hatred is. We all bleed the same color. I wish nothing more than if we could all learn to Love Thy Neighbors.

[Pancha Mantilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

True stories simply hit differently. Especially when it comes to heartbreaking times as it was the war. The brothers who protagonist this tale didn't know what their words would mean. How their testimony would make generations aware of what humans can do. The living proof of how important it is to not repeat the mistakes of the past, Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this story.
A family of seven growing up in Poland. Victims of segregation and hate because of religious beliefs. They hear stories of an awful man with an agenda. And find themselves stuck between hate. Little did they know that their father's profession would save their lives more than once. How being watchmakers would be more appreciated in the war than before it. A heartbreaking tale of survival, brotherhood, and how important it is to stay true to yourself. A must for anyone who loves true stories and memories of survivors.

[DeeAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Watchmakers: A Powerful Ww2 Story of Brotherhood, Survival, and Hope Amid the Holocaust by Harry and Scott Lenga is perhaps one of the best written memoirs of this time period, that I have had the chance of reading.
This book is not only of the survival of 3 brothers during some of the world's worst moments, but of their entire lives beginning to end. Scott Lenga not only provides expertly written interviews with his father, but a much further look into the accounts of multiple individuals who have documented their experiences during the war as well.
The Watchmakers struck me with such powerful emotions that I believe it should be a required History reading. This book flows with such ease and allows for the reader to actually feel as the characters describe their accounts. I would rate this book among such powerful memoirs as Elie Wiesel and Anne Frank.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

#TheWatchmakers
By Harry & Scott Lenga
It is a must read, the way it was written I felt that Harry Lenga was telling me his story, like we sat down together, and he told me about his brave and scary life as a POW during WWII and crimes against the Jews. The emotions I felt for Harry and his brothers ranged from heart-breaking to elation. Unlike other memoirs of WWII I’ve read, Scott keeps it at a PG-13 leaving out details of severe abuse and other inhumane atrocities against humanity. Thank you for that. Pre-order when you get a chance, it is a must Read, #GoodReads.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so hoping to win this early copy from Goodreads - thank you. #TheWatchmakers is simply the most remarkable, hope filled book even though the subject is so thoroughly depressing. It is amazing that the three brothers were able to stay together, and that is what saved them. They relied on each other’s strength, love and guidance through horrors, sadness and situations that leaves me wondering how I could have survived such things. A must read for all. Many thank to Scott Lenga for fulfilling and writing his dad’s story. I would give the book 100 stars!

[Ron Baumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a truly inspirational book on the hardships and horrors faced by three brothers during the Holocaust. The events and trials they went through should be read and understood by all to learn how to prevent this type of persecution from ever happening to any person! A must read!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a story of survival

[Adri Dosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knihu napsal syn podle toho, co mu vyprávěl otec a on si to nahrál, vyzpovídal i zbytek rodiny, udělal si průzkum, sesbíral rešerše a pak to prostě sepsal. Nutno uznat, že velmi dobře. Vyprávění je přirozené, nepřikrašlují, nepřehánějí, nelitují, nejsou zatrpklé. Prostě je to příběh o 4 bratrech, kteří se narodili před válkou v rodině chasidských Židů a kam vedla jejich cesta. Jak přežili, nepřežili válku a co se s nimi stalo potom. Je tam tvrdá realita, kterou Polsko stírá a nemluví o ní, a to, že i oni trpěli rasismem a dost jeli proti Židům a popravdě si dělali i choutky na různé věci, třeba i na Česko, kdyby jen je stav nepřekvapil, že se nakonec stali oběťmi v první linii, a to nečekali. Takže je tu celkem vidět i chování polských obyvatel na začátku války i na konci války. Vše je doplněno o fotky, mapky, dokumentaci a další zajímavé dokumenty. Kniha rozhodně stojí za přečtení. Není komplikovaná. Plyne časem a jde o vyprávění toho, co bylo prožito. Jak se s tím vyrovnávali, jak některé věci nechápali a podobně.

[Rebecca M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read. Based on oral history and research, this is a fantastic account of Harry Lenga's experiences growing up in a Chassidic Jewish community in Poland, living through horrific conditions in Labor Camps/Concentration Camps in WWII, and life after the war. It reads like an oral history, and draws the reader in to the author's life in a genuine, open way. I thought I'd read the worst of WWII, but some of the stories in this book were shocking and nauseating at the degree of inhumanity. I loved the "co-author's note." Clearly this book is a treasure for family history reasons, but we can all learn from and be inspired by Harry Lenga.

Thank you, Citadel Press and #NetGalley for the ebook.

[Amit · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice and a touching story of a survivor. Harry shares the journey of life in ghetto , camps and life immediately after the freedom from the camps post fall of Nazi’s .
The uncertainty of everyday meal, beatings, survival and details of what it was to live through the period and yet survive it all.

Refreshing that it is not all about auschwitz which many books are and that is why a good read.

It also brings to fore a little talked about fact in the book of how war drove families away and how the survivors drifted apart after the war to never go back to the pre-war bonds.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

#NEVERFORGET
In some ways, this is the Polish version of the Hungarian woman and her two sisters in Lily's Promise. But this family was less advantaged before the war and gives a clearer picture of what life was like in Poland before the invasion. After was just grisly. Harry Lenga was one of the three brothers who were apprenticed at a young age to be watchmakers, and how all of them managed to survive the horrors of the Holocaust and make for themselves lives worth living for a long time afterwards and never giving up hope.
This collection of Harry's memories was compiled and put into book form by Harry's son, Scott.
Born in 1919, Harry passed away in 2020.
The appendices which cover Chassdic context and the local Rabbis, the Jewish and political groups in the area prewar, the testimony of one of their American rescuers, the meaning of many Hebrew/Yiddish words, and extensive endnotes are nearly a quarter of the book.
This is a very moving book that is needed now and in the future.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Kensington Books/Citadel via NetGalley. Thank you

[Kristall · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Right away, we three brothers made a pact between us that whatever happened to one would happen to all of us...It happened a few times in the camps that one faced death in order to save the others. We didn't have to discuss it beyond that. It was a natural thing for us, and there was never a doubt." - Harry Lenga

The Watchmakers by Harry Lenga and his son Scott Lenga was a fast-paced and fascinating read. It is extraordinary that a trade as seemingly inconsequential as watchmaking and fixing could save the lives of three brothers, but it did.

The book is written by Scott Lenga and is based heavily on interviews he made with his father over many hours ~20 years before publication. I think that because of these comprehensive interviews the narration of the Lengas' story comes through clearly in Harry's voice. I felt I got to know Harry Lenga and that reading this book was like an easy conversation between friends. Since this is obviously written in his voice, and English is not his first language, there are grammatical errors included which I think just adds to the feel of the story.

Harry shares the good and the bad of his life in Europe before, during and after WWII and does not sugarcoat anything to make it more palatable to sensitive readers. I appreciated his raw honesty and obvious openness in his narration. While I have read a great deal of books from Holocaust survivors I find I'm always learning something new about the highs and horrifying lows of humanity from them. The Watchmakers is no exception.

There were a good amount of photos included in the book which I appreciated. I really like to see what the people and places mentioned in the story look like. There are quite a few sections in the back that share information on Chasiddic Jews in regards to the Lenga family history that I found very interesting.

The pacing is fairly fast. There are few lulls between events so I read The Watchmakers pretty quickly. Overall an engaging if somewhat simple read.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on family and survival during the Holocaust. The brothers were so supportive of one another in the camp and their insight into dealing with camp hierarchy was amazing! The love of family and endurance of that love is such a powerful theme of this book.

[Karen M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of survival. Now, I know you’ve probably read books about World War II and what it was like in the concentration camps but this story is a success story, if you can call it that. It is a story of three brothers who survived the camps by staying together against all odds. All three went on to live their lives with wives and children and the same skills that had saved them in the camps were also their livelihood in freedom. What skills you may ask, well, they were watchmakers taught by their father and each other.

I found I could only read thirty or so pages at a sitting since it was a sad and at times very depressing story but I kept returning to the book because I knew at least one of the three brothers had survived, the author of the book. Harry Lenga actually dictated the book to tape and his son Scott Lenga transcribed into this book.

The book was interesting and if the three had not been together who knows if any of the them would have survived. They kept each other going through sickness and depression and somehow their cleverness kept them alive.

I can’t say I enjoyed this book but I found it informative and a very personal look (somewhat like Anne Frank’s diary) into a survivors struggle during World War II.

Thank you to Between The Chapters, Kensington Publishers, and the author Harry Lenga. #betweenthechapters, #kensingtonpublishers, #thewatchermakers

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of reading the Watchmaker of Dachau by Carly Schabowski, therefore, it was pleasant coincidence to receive the galley of The Watchmakers by Harry and Scott Lenga. The authors are father (Harry) and his son Scott. This memoir of Harry and his two brothers, Mailekh and Moishe, is nothing short of a historical treasure. Written in first person, it is an astonishing intimate account of the horrors that befell the three brothers under the Nazi regime.
The brothers’ saving light was that they were skilled watchmakers. From Jewish ghettos to labor camps, they managed to get the attention of Nazi officers who needed watches fixed. However, the brothers still had to survive the starvation diet, freezing temperatures, disease outbreaks, and periods of hard physical labor. The boys never wavered in supporting each other. “Right away, we three brothers made a pact between us that whatever happened to one would happen to all.” (Pg 101)
Since this is autobiographical, the authors did not need to develop the characters – they were real people with incredible courage and fortitude placed in a horrific time and place. Scott had recorded interviews with this father across a decade and by writing the book in first person he attempted to bring his father’s voice to life. The fact that the interviews were in Yiddish-English and required translation is another major achievement. The result is extraordinary.
The book is organized chronologically with each chapter being another location as the boys were transferred from camp to camp. Twelve chapters spanning 1919 when Harry was born until 1949 when he emigrated to the United States.
This a scholarly book with five Appendices, 23 pages of Endnotes, a Glossary of names of places and non-English words. It could be the basis of a cross-curricular college course combining religion, history, and psychology. Yet The Watchmakers hardly reads like a textbook. Packed with humanity, this memoir sounds as though Harry is talking aloud.
Two things saved Harry and his brothers – their watchmaking skills and their mindset. “We worked hard to keep hope in our minds and not to become meshuga. And the more you talked yourself into it, the more you believed in that hope. If a hungry person believes that he’ll find something to eat later, he can last longer. If he thinks, it’s pointless, and I won’t survive, he dies faster. I saw it happen many times. Pessimism is a terrible sickness. You destroy yourself. You have to have optimism all the time. (pg. xx)

[Darrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book as part of a Goodreads give away. Holocaust stories are always interesting to me. In this particular case I had just coincidentally finished the Hiding Place, a different perspective on the survivor story involving a watchmaker. It is interesting that although both Corrie and her sister and the Lenga brothers of #thewatchmakers both survived, their paths were different. The sisters survived on their strong Christian faith while the brothers survived on their strong faith in themselves. Khil's (Henry's) memory for the details of his experience is incredible. His desire to continue to tell this story, although at first his own son didn't want to hear it, was strong. He believed by telling it, that he could prevent the same thing from happening to future generations. It is a story worth telling and worth reading, remembering and learning.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tremendous story of three brothers who stuck together during the darkest days of WWII.
Scott Lenga interviewed his father and then turned them into this book.
Written in the first person, Henry re,she’s his life story and how being a watchmaker saved he and his brothers countless times.
It’s another precious a story to add the canon of Holocaust memoirs, too precious to ever be forgotten.
Thanks to Edelweiss, NetGalley, and Kensington for the early copy.

[Sheryl Hanefeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written in first person from a set of interviews recorded by Harry and Scott Lenga. I think this was an awesome way to capture the real experiences of living through the Holocaust. The things that these three brothers endured were captivating and startling. Thank you for making it possible for people to read this book and contemplate the impact that it could have on the future.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from a Goodreads giveaway.

This was a very interesting read. It tells the tale of three brothers, all who learned watchmaking from their father, who survived the concentration camps. Their skill at fixing watches, a lot of luck, and their ability to stay together allowed them to survive this ordeal.

One thing that sets it apart from other holocaust books I have read is its depiction of the years before the war. It really shows how Jewish life was in this small Polish town and how relationships between Jews and non-Jews were tricky. Ultimately, once it was allowed, people who seemed like allies showed their true colors in persecuting their neighbors.

Like many books written through the eyes of holocaust survivors, there is horrible cruelty, but there are also glimmers of humanity along the way.

Worth the read.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Kensington Books for the ARC, it was a privilege to read the Lenga family story of survival.


Scott Lenga, son of Khil, now in America as Harry Lenga have delivered a testimony of survival. Harry Lenaga and his two brothers survived the Holocaust. Seventy years later their story is captured and shared.

The Watchmakers is based on hours of recording Harry Lenga testimony, Scott creates a vivid and heart moving account of the resourcefulness his father and uncles employeed to survive.

Stories from the concentration camps, and murder victims are incredibly difficult. Difficult to comprehend, let alone consider survival. All three men, banned together to endure. It was painful to read the despairing circumstances these men lived through. Astonishingly these men survived and shared their story. We must continue to lift them up, and bring these stories forward. Everyone needs to know, these men are inspiring to all of humanity.

#goodreads
#scottlenga
#thewatchmakers