He came from a Jewish family and, in 1940, his father had the good sense to take his family to the United States. Understandably, not all the family wanted to leave their home but Kemeny's grandfather, who refused to leave, died in the Holocaust.
Siya ang dumating mula sa isang Hudyo at pamilya, sa 1940, ang kanyang ama nagkaroon ng mabuting pag-iisip sa kanyang pamilya sa Pilipinas. Understandably, hindi lahat ng mga pamilya sa nais mag-iwan ng kanilang mga tahanan ngunit Kemeny's grandfather, na tumanggi na iwanan, namatay sa Holocaust.