In recognition of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, Robert Ratonyi, a Holocaust survivor, will speak during a Saturday, January 20 special meeting of the Atlanta World War II History Round Table in Dunwoody, Georgia. He will be introduced by World War II veteran and Dachau Nazi concentration camp liberator Hilbert Margol. The speaker and luncheon event is open to the public in response to the alarming rise of antisemitism and Holocaust denial in the United States.

Robert Ratonyi will present “A Holocaust Childhood: Wounds that Never Heal”, the harrowing story of his struggle and survival as a young Jew caught up in the 1944-45 Hungarian Holocaust, part of the larger European Holocaust, when approximately seventy-five percent of Hungary's Jewish population was exterminated. Mr. Ratonyi will connect the persecution, deportation, and systematic murder of Jews he experienced during his childhood to the recent explosion of anti-Jewish sentiment and Holocaust denial predominantly among young people since the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel.

A December 2-5, 2023 The Economist/YouGov poll suggests that one in five Americans ages 18 to 29 believe the Holocaust is a myth, and about 30 percent neither agree nor disagree that the Holocaust happened. 

“Reasonable people can differ over Israel’s response to the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks, and I want to be clear that our January 20 event is not a public debate over Israel’s response, which is a matter entirely separate from whether the Holocaust happened. Parents should ask their children, including adult children in the 18 to 29 age demographic, what they know about the Holocaust and bring them to our event to meet and listen to individuals who saw the Holocaust happening”, explained Atlanta World War II History Round Table President Jeffery Johnson.

Seating is limited. RSVP is required. The program will contain Holocaust imagery that some viewers may find disturbing and is not intended for children under high school age.

Event Time & Location:

January 20, 2023
10:30 am: meeting start & social time
11:00 am: cafeteria style lunch served followed by the featured speaker

Fellowship Hall
Dunwoody United Methodist Church
Wiley and Linda Stephens Activities Building
1548 Mt. Vernon Rd
Dunwoody, GA 30338

Admission Pricing & RSVP Information:

$23 per person cash or check (pay at the gate)
World War II veterans free
High school students, college students, and history teachers free with high school student ID, college student ID, and teacher ID
Cafeteria style lunch included in admission price
Individuals under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian

Mandatory RSVP no later than January 13, 2024 by telephoning Bill LeCount at 404-886-7383.

About Hilbert Margol

Jewish World War II veteran Hilbert Margol served in the 42nd “Rainbow” Infantry Division with his identical twin brother Howard.  On April 29, 1945, the two brothers and small group of GIs were the first Allied soldiers to discover and liberate the Dachau Nazi concentration camp. 

About Robert Ratonyi

Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1938, Robert Ratonyi’s childhood was scarred by fear, upheaval, hunger and loss.  He was six-years old when forced to wear a yellow star and face the terrors of war and ghetto life without his parents, both of whom were deported to Nazi concentration camps.

About the Atlanta World War II History Round Table

The Atlanta World War II History Round Table is a non-profit 501(c)(7) historical society located in Dunwoody, Georgia and was founded in 1987. We are the meeting place in the State of Georgia for discussion about World War II history and the leading resource for educators, the media, and the entertainment industry seeking subject matter experts on World War II. We hold monthly luncheon meetings open to the public that feature authors, historians, World War II veterans, and other guest speakers.

Media Contact: Jeffery Johnson
atlantaww2roundtable@gmail.com
678-230-6705
atlantawwiiroundtable.org