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Josef Veselsky, Holocaust survivor and table tennis master who was Ireland’s oldest man, dies at 107
(JTA) — Josef “Joe” Veselsky, a Holocaust survivor and table tennis champion who spent more than a year as Ireland’s oldest man, died on Saturday at 107.
Born Joseph Weiss to a Jewish family in Trnava in what was then Czechoslovakia in 1918, Veselsky was 20 when Hitler invaded the country. He changed his name after his mother, Bertha, urged him to change his name to “something a bit more Slovak,” according to the Irish Times.
Veselsky joined the resistance and survived the war in the Carpathian Mountains, according to Holocaust Education Ireland.
“In the mountains, you know, when they sent us on a difficult mission, they gave us a glass of vodka. But I never drank it. I changed it with the boys for half a loaf of bread, so I was the best fed,” Veselsky told the University Times, the student newspaper of Trinity College Dublin, in 2016.
Veselsky’s older brother and parents were killed in Auschwitz, but he did not learn the details of their fate until later in life, his grandson Nicholas Browne told the Irish public broadcaster RTÉ.
“He was initially very upset to see that in writing: when they were taken, where they were taken and when they were killed. The record-keeping by the Nazis was that good – that they had all this information written down,” said Browne. “He cried then and my father had never seen him cry. For him it was some kind of closure and relief – to know what exactly had happened.”
Following the war, Veselsky served as the captain of the Czechoslovak national table tennis team and was later awarded the Order of the Slovak National Uprising for his actions during the war.
In 1949, he emigrated to Dublin with his wife, Katarina, to escape the Communist takeover in his home country. There, he started a successful Jewelry business importing Swiss watches and other jewelry.
Veselsky also served as the captain of the Irish national table tennis team for 20 years, according to the Irish Times, and became life president of the Irish Table Tennis Association.
“Joe Veselsky’s resilience, integrity, and lifelong dedication to table tennis leave an enduring legacy,” wrote Table Tennis Ireland in a post on Facebook. “On behalf of Table Tennis Ireland, we extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends. He will be remembered with great respect and gratitude.”
Veselsky also earned numerous accolades over his life, including the Slovak Order of the White Double Cross, the country’s highest state decoration, and the European Table Tennis Union’s Badge of Honour.
“Joe Veselsky’s life stands as a testament to the unifying power of sport, the endurance of the human spirit, and the values that table tennis seeks to promote across generations,” wrote the European Table Tennis Union in an obituary.
In October 2024, following the death of Martin McEvilly at the age of 108, Veselsky became the oldest man in Ireland.
Known as Ireland’s oldest student, Veselsky also took classes at Trinity College Dublin where he was awarded an honorary master in arts degree in 2016.
“He was a true gentleman in every sense of the word, and an inspiration to all who were lucky enough to know him,” wrote the School of Histories and Humanities at Trinity College Dublin in a post on Facebook. “He will be deeply missed.”
Veselsky is survived by his children, Peter and Kate, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
The post Josef Veselsky, Holocaust survivor and table tennis master who was Ireland’s oldest man, dies at 107 appeared first on The Forward.
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Some Tankers Cross Strait of Hormuz Before Shots Fired, Ship-Tracking Data Shows
A satellite image shows the ship movement at the Strait of Hormuz on April 17, 2026, in Space. EUROPEAN UNION/COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2/Handout via REUTERS
More than a dozen tankers, including three sanctioned vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after a 50-day blockade was lifted on Friday, shipping data showed, before Iran reimposed restrictions on Saturday and fired at some vessels.
Reopening the strait is key for Gulf producers to resume full oil and gas supplies to the world, and end what the International Energy Agency has called the worst-ever supply disruption.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday Iran had agreed to open the strait, while Iranian officials said they wanted the US to fully lift its blockade of Iranian tankers.
Western shipping companies cautiously welcomed the announcements but said more clarity was needed, including on the presence of sea mines, before their vessels could transit.
IRAN RESUMES RESTRICTIONS
The ships that passed through the strait on Friday and Saturday via Iranian waters south of Larak island were mainly older, non-Western-owned vessels and included four sanctioned ships, according to ship-tracking data.
Iran arranged passage for a limited number of oil tankers and commercial ships following prior agreements in negotiations, a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.
Other ships have been seen approaching the strait and turning back as Iran said it would maintain strict controls as long as the US continues its blockade of Iranian ports.
The UK Navy reported on Saturday that Iranian gunboats fired at some ships attempting to cross the strait.
Some merchant vessels received radio messages from Iran’s navy saying the strait was shut again and that no ships were allowed to pass, shipping sources said on Saturday.
Ship-tracking data showed five vessels loaded with liquefied natural gas from Ras Laffan in Qatar approaching the strait on Saturday morning.
No LNG cargoes have transited the waterway since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28.
Hundreds of ships have been stuck in the Gulf since the conflict started and Tehran closed the strait, forcing Gulf oil and gas producers to sharply cut production.
Top producers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq and Kuwait say they need steady tanker flows and unrestricted passage through the strait to resume normal export operations.
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Trump Greenlights Russian Oil to Ease Strain on Global Markets After War with Iran
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington, DC, US, March 27, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
i24 News – The Trump administration has authorized a 30-day emergency waiver allowing the maritime purchase of Russian oil, reversing a hardline stance in an effort to stabilize skyrocketing global energy prices.
The Treasury Department announced Friday that the license for crude and petroleum products will remain in effect until May 16, 2026, responding to intense pressure from international partners struggling with the fallout of the war with Iran.
This policy pivot comes as a surprise after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested earlier this week that no further exemptions would be granted:
“As negotiations with Iran accelerate, the administration seeks to ensure oil availability for those who need it most. We must prevent a total price collapse for consumers while the geopolitical situation remains volatile.”
Ensuring global oil availability is paramount for the US as over 80 energy facilities in the Middle East have been damaged by recent war with Iran. With the November midterm elections approaching, record-high fuel prices at the pump remain a primary vulnerability for the Republican party. By allowing Russian oil back into the maritime flow, the administration hopes to neutralize “pain at the pump” before voters head to the polls.
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UK: Islamist Group Claims to Attack Israeli Embassy with ‘Drones Carrying Radioactive, Carcinogenic Materials’
A UK man has been arrested for allegedly threatening a group of Jews while wielding an ax on Rosh Hashanah. Photo: Tony Webster / Wikimedia Commons.
i24 News – British police officers in protective clothing were seen investigating a “security incident” near the Israeli embassy in London on Friday, after a jihadist group put out a video showing it launching two drones allegedly carrying radioactive and carcinogenic materials toward the embassy.
“There is an increased police presence in Kensington Gardens and officers are assessing a number of discarded items. As a precaution, some of the officers who have been deployed are wearing protective clothing. We recognize this may concern local residents and the wider public,” police said in a statement.
“Counter Terrorism Policing London are aware of a video shared online overnight in which a group claims to have targeted the nearby embassy of Israel with drones carrying dangerous substances,” the statement further read. “While we can confirm that the embassy has not been attacked, we are carrying out urgent inquiries to determine the authenticity of the video and to identify any potential link between it and the items discarded in Kensington Gardens.”
The incident comes amid a steep hike in antisemitic attacks in Britain targeting Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions.
The group that released the video was identified as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, a shadowy entity with suspected ties to Iran. It has already claimed seven attacks against Jewish institutions, including an arson attack in London where four ambulances owned by the Hatzolah charity were torched.