Resident Pens Second Book Detailing Life Experiences

North Shore Towers resident Larry Wenig has constantly beaten the odds throughout his life, and discusses some of them in his latest book, “My Life of Turmoil: A Jewish Immigrant’s Story and Warning.”
Born in Dynow, Poland, Wenig spent the years of the Holocaust as a political prisoner and as a worker in a Soviet Union labor camp. Those experiences were shared in his first book, “From Nazi Inferno to Soviet Hell.”
However, there was still more of his story to tell, which prompted him to write the newly-published “My Life of Turmoil.” After being diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus in 2004 and going into remission, Wenig decided to write the book.
“When I was diagnosed with cancer, I thought, ‘This is it, I’m dying,’” Wenig said. “Thank God I survived. I’m a fighter.”
The latest book focuses on his life after coming to the United States in June of 1946 at the age of 22 and unable to speak English.
Upon his arrival, Wenig’s dream was to continue with his education. Although he was discouraged by many to do so and the odds were seemingly stacked against him, he began working during the day and attending school in the evening until he earned a high school diploma and, eventually, became a lawyer. He went on to open his own practice, which is now called Wenig & Wenig and is run by his son.
“Life was not easy for me, but I was determined and I persevered in order to achieve my goal. I wanted to prove to everyone - my family, my landsman, everyone who kept telling me that I was wasting my time and would never make it - that they were wrong,” Wenig writes in his book. “My life experiences taught me that if you persevere, you can achieve your goal.”
Wenig also writes about instantly falling in love with his wife, Selma, who he has been married to for 53 years now. They have two children, Phyllis and Alan, and five grandchildren, Matthew, Michelle, Elena, Alex and Arielle. The couple resides in Building Two and has lived at North Shore Towers for 15 years.
Another portion of Wenig’s book discusses his current political views. Among other issues, he discusses the state of Israel, anti-Semitism, the history of Islam and the Koran, and the Arab-Israeli conflict.
“I have been studying this matter for a very long time, and after analyzing the Koran and the history of the Arabs, I have come to the following conclusion,” Wenig writes. “Unless the Muslim religion reforms, just as the Christian and the Jewish religions have reformed over the centuries, and unless the Koran is reinterpreted by modern, civil, peace-minded Muslims, the non-Muslim world will never be able to live in peace.”
Throughout “My Life of Turmoil: A Jewish Immigrant’s Story and Warning,” Wenig speaks about his adopted country with affection.
“I arrived on these blessed shores in June 1946. I was weak, emaciated, practically a skeleton,” Wenig writes. “My blessed new country nourished me, gave me hope, and inspired me to become a human being again. This blessed country of ours opened to me the gates of its schools and colleges, and I became a very successful attorney.”