GENEVA – The World Jewish Congress, 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.”
