‘In 2020, I had plans for the entire summer with the KMCSSZ: I was going to assist at four different Diaspora School Camps and the Jubilee (Jubi) grand scout camp, but all of these were canceled due to the pandemic, so I returned home, but I was craving to return and finish what the COVID-19 had interrupted.’

‘Sometimes I had to ask my uncle…to give me food, or knock on the neighbor’s door for dinner…Meanwhile, during the summers, I experienced in America that life is predictable there: if someone was willing to work, they could be independent and achieve anything they wanted. That’s what ultimately led me to the conclusion that I should return to the U.S. and get my PhD there.’

‘Building a community under these circumstances is difficult, Winer admitted…He stressed that explaining the importance of community to young people is crucial. Many question what the church offers them and why it is important for their children to know Petőfi (one of the most famous Hungarian poets), as they will still be able to work without this knowledge.’

‘It all started when I noticed that the church was emptying, that parents weren’t bringing their children who were the same age as mine. As I mentioned, my faith is deeply emotional. Christmas has always meant a lot to me—it offers a spiritual experience and creates a warm family atmosphere. So, I thought maybe I could awaken that same feeling in young people and bring them back to church.’

‘I love being part of a community, I value community-building activities, and I treasure being able to connect with people who have entirely different life stories and perspectives—this expands my own outlook, which I find extremely valuable. I volunteer so that others can experience the same.’

‘I first became vice president in 2001 to better understand how the club operated, then became president in 2002. It wasn’t easy because only men had previously held leadership roles. At first, they didn’t take kindly to a woman joining their ranks—especially since I was significantly younger than them at 50 years old…During my presidency, younger generations began joining us.’

‘In October of 2021, in the same elementary school, the homoerotic book, All Boys Aren’t Blue by George Johnson, was an approved book in the school library. Parents were criticizing the book at a school board meeting, but what was tragically comical is that the local newspaper couldn’t accurately report on the book because of pornography laws.’

‘When I arrived here as a young woman in my twenties, full of deep Catholic faith and great enthusiasm, Fathers Kristóf Hites, Pius Horváth, Egon Jávor, and József Jaszovszky all embraced and supported me. They gave me wings and helped me fulfill the goals of the Catholic Mission.’

‘I also loved music and singing, but my very busy parents didn’t notice my talent—they only paid attention to my sister’s beautiful voice. Back in Hungary, before we fled, she studied opera singing with a teacher while attending the Szent László High School in Kőbánya, Budapest. I loved listening to her and longed to have a voice like hers…It was only much later that it turned out I did.’

‘The real goal is to preserve Hungarian culture, and along with that, to teach these children to read and write Hungarian. By the end of the year, I noticed that they were paying attention to only speaking Hungarian—we even had a game for that—and there was one child who, at first, didn’t want to speak at all, but by year-end, it was hard to keep him silent.’

‘I didn’t really form any deep-lasting friendships with any of my schoolmates…Of course, things like math homework or sports can be common topics, but I don’t have real personal connections with them. All my relationships are tied to Hungarians. I go to school because I have to—but otherwise, I’m here, in the Hungarian community.’

‘My primary goal is to make people aware of the existence of this singing pedagogy…The Libero Canto approach presents a completely different paradigm that hasn’t entered the mainstream, because traditional singing schools have a very tight pace of teaching, there are tough exams and performances, which we don’t have because we don’t see the point, as everyone develops at a different pace.’

‘The support and spiritual guidance we received from the Krasznai and Bőjtös families helped us tremendously in adjusting to our new life. Even though I had already served as a pastor for 14 years, the first six months were not easy. I learned a great deal, which helped me understand both the social and religious life here.’

‘My parents attended the local Hungarian Reformed church, and I began attending as well. I saw how much these people needed spiritual life. They went to church out of habit and followed traditions, but they lacked true spiritual vitality. That’s when I became a Hungarian Reformed pastor. I realized that my mission was right here—I didn’t need to go any farther.’

‘Brick by brick, pew by pew, bell by bell, we dismantled the old church and transported it to Arad. It was an amazing feeling to save everything—the pulpit, communion table, Moses seat, and bell! The Arad County authorities approved the plan, but Bucharest vetoed it. That was the final blow that broke my father’s spirit…’

‘I’m proud that they speak two languages fluently. But we cannot take away from them the fact that they also love the place where they grew up, which is a part of their personality. Having an American identity doesn’t mean they lack a Hungarian one. In fact, I believe they are twice as rich, both emotionally and culturally—if we do it right.’

‘At the latest event of the Speaker Series organized by the New York Young Republicans Club (NYYRC), Hungarian Minister of Culture and Innovation Prof. Dr. Balázs Hankó spoke about the significant roles that culture, technology, and diplomatic engagements play in shaping Hungary’s international standing and domestic growth…’

‘Several countries…were accepting refugees back then. Mózsi was worried about America because of the Vietnam War…In the end, we chose America and arrived on 2 June 1969. Our sponsor was the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Reformed Church of New Brunswick, where Rev. Imre Bertalan, a wonderful man, was the pastor.’

‘Sometimes, I’ve come across Hungarians in the most unlikely places. For example, I saw an article by a certain Rev. Laszlo LaDany from Hong Kong, who translated from Chinese to English. When I contacted him, it turned out that he had a niece in England whom my uncle and his wife were supporting.’

‘One of my grandfathers was a Reformed pastor, and the other was a county chief magistrate, so, from the Communist regime’s point of view, we were a “reactionary” family who didn’t accept the people’s democracy. Our family certainly helped us develop a healthy outlook on life. We weren’t spoiled; we got used to difficulties, and we even took them for granted.’

‘Our church is in an accessible, safe location, a single-story building, and a popular venue. We hold a traditional worship service. Most of the congregation is elderly. We deeply appreciate everything they have done for the church and the congregation, so we continue to serve them in the way they prefer.’

‘I didn’t even know where the theology school was. So, I got off at the Üllői Road intersection and walked to the pastoral office at Kálvin Square, where I told the pastor what had happened to me. He responded: “This is extraordinary. The theology school is actually nearby, on Ráday Street. Go there and apply.”’

An in-depth conversation with Gábor Mózsi, who, after an adventurous childhood in Budapest, moved to America at the age 21. He initially became involved in the Chicago Hungarian community as a photographer, then was elected president of the Hungarian Club. He also joined the board of the Hungarian Communion of Friends and helped launch a youth leadership training program.

‘At that time, there was no Hungarian scouting in San Francisco, but when the idea of founding a local scout troop came up a few years later, I joined them as a patrol leader up front, even though I had never been a scout before. I thus became a founding member of the local troops, together with Tamás Csoboth and a few others.’

Zsuzsa has lived most of her life in Hungary, while Gyula grew up in the United States. They have known each other for only about 15 years, but since their first meeting in Budapest they have been driven by common social goals: strengthening cultural and economic ties between America and Hungary.

‘After passing all the tests to make sure that we were neither sick nor communists or spies, they let us go on the condition that we had a sponsor. We were sponsored by the Catholic Family Services in Amarillo, Texas, with whom we had no previous connection. When we arrived, with the organization’s help, my husband got a job within three days…’

‘It’s important to me that the kids know about their family history. One assignment I give my grade 6 class is to interview a family member who immigrated to Canada, and if that person is no longer alive, to interview someone who can tell them about this experience. The kids always learn something new, and so do I.’

‘I’m grateful to God who has arranged this opportunity, and of course, I’m very grateful to the Hungary Foundation for helping me to come here, where I’ve already done so much, met so many interesting people, traveled a lot, attended, organized and delivered lectures—definitely a life-changing experience.’

‘Another important point is that the goal of scouting is character development, not religious education…We’re aware that the world has changed, so expecting every scout to be religious and attend church isn’t realistic. But we do integrate faith in God into our scout work.’

‘My life very often turned out completely differently than I had planned. History intervened several times; for example, World War II, the final phase of which I experienced in Hungary as a child aged 8–9; the communist dictatorship that followed; and then, the 1956 revolution and freedom fight and its suppression that I had to flee from.’