GENEVA – The World Jewish Congress Geneva Office, in cooperation with the Permanent Mission of Slovakia to the United Nations in Geneva, and the Swaythling Club International (SCI), hosted on Tuesday a documentary screening and exhibition entitled Extraordinary Joe,
paying tribute to Holocaust survivor and athlete Joe Veselsky. Held at the
Palais des Nations in Geneva, the event brought together diplomats, ambassadors, and
representatives of international organizations as part of the WJC’s ongoing efforts to preserve Holocaust memory and combat
antisemitism through international advocacy and education.
The exhibition, displayed alongside the
screening, traced the defining chapters of Veselsky’s life, beginning with his
early years in Trnava, continuing through his survival during the Holocaust,
and his post-war achievements in Ireland.
Jozef (Joe) Veselsky was born in
Trnava, in the former Czechoslovakia, in 1918. A passionate sportsman from a
young age, he rose to become a high-ranking table tennis player. Following the
Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia, Joe joined the Resistance, where he remained
active throughout the war. His strong language skills proved valuable, and he
was often called upon to serve as an interpreter for the underground.
In 1944, he participated in the
Slovak National Uprising, carrying out missions across the Carpathian
Mountains. During the brutal winter months, he stayed in the mountains with a
group of 400 fighters. As he later recalled, only 40 of them survived.
None of Joe’s immediate family
survived the Holocaust. His parents were first deported to the labor camp in
Sered, near Bratislava, before being transported to Auschwitz, where they were
murdered upon arrival. His brother, Hugo, made efforts to secure exemptions for
himself and his wife from deportation but was ultimately unsuccessful. Both
were eventually deported to Auschwitz, where they too were killed.
After the war, Joe captained the
Czechoslovak table tennis team. However, in 1949, facing political pressure
under the communist regime, he emigrated to Ireland with his wife Katarina and
their children, Peter and Kate.
In Ireland, Joe ran a successful
jewelry business while remaining deeply involved in the sporting community,
serving for many years as the non-playing captain of the Irish national table
tennis team. From 1974 to 1978, he was the director of Shamrock Rovers Football
Club and served as vice-president at UCD Dublin. He was also a founding member
of the Swaythling Club International, an organization that unites former world
champions, distinguished coaches, and officials. In recognition of his lifelong
contribution to the sport, Joe was named the Honorary Life Chairman of the
Irish Table Tennis Association.
Delivering opening remarks, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, Rastislav Chovanec, and Slovakia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Dušan Matulay, jointly reaffirmed Slovakia’s unwavering commitment to combating antisemitism in all its forms. Chovanec emphasized: “It remains true today that extremism and hateful expressions have no place in our society,” further adding, “We are proud and pleased that through cultural diplomacy, we can bring inspiring Slovak stories to the UN.”
