|  News
from Texas
10/22 - 10/29/2006 - TEXAS AHF CHAPTER
GROWS WITH SUCCESSFUL 1956 COMMEMORATION EVENTS
 The
events started with the Metroplex (Dallas-Fort Worth) Magyar Cultural
Circle's commemoration with a Hungarian mass on Sunday, October 22 at
the Cistercian
Abbey and Preparatory School cafeteria in Irving, Texas.  During
the Hungarian mass, members of the DFW Hétvégi Magyar Iskola
under the leadership of Péter Váli, led the congregation
in several Hungarian songs, suggested by Louis Ott. Following the service,
there was the dedication of the “emlékoszlopok” (traditional
Transylvanian carved wooden monuments) near the monastery, in honor  of
the 1956 Revolution and the 50th year of the Cistercian Abbey. Later,
delicious Hungarian food and drink was served and there was a viewing
of Zoltán Czigany's pictures made during the thirteen days in 1956,
from October 23 to November 5. Please visit www.magyarszo.net
 for
more information.
AHF would like to thank the Imre Gazda and the Metroplex
Magyars, along with Beata Szechy and the Hungarian Multicultural Center,
for joining AHF!
 To
coincide with the 50th anniversary, the exhibit "1956 - The Hope
of Freedom" was unveiled in the Doherty Library on the University
of St. Thomas campus on Monday, October 23rd. The exhibit, which tells
the story of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution through photos and written
commentary, is free and  open
to the public during normal library hours. This same exhibit had been
displayed in the Texas Capitol in Austin from October 2nd thru the 6th
and was sponsored by Texas Speaker of the House Tom Craddick with the
help of the Hungarian Consulate in Houston and AHF.
 On
Friday, October 27th a symposium was held commemorating the 50th anniversary
of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Hosted by the University of St. Thomas
and sponsored by Houston Hungarian Consulate and AHF, the symposium consisted
of two panels and a film screening.  The
first panel consisted of two Hungarian born authors who shared the personal
experiences that inspired their writings. The authors were Csaba Teglas,
author of "Budapest Exit" and
Arpad Gergely, author of "The Face Behind
I Hide". Following that, there was a screening of Steven Fischer's
film Freedom Dance After the screening, Steven spoke about the making
of the film and took questions from the audience.
 Finally,
there was a panel of experts that led a discussion on the implications
of the Hungarian Revolution on the wider Cold War, the Eastern Bloc and
the Hungarian minority situation in surrounding countries and the current
political situation in Hungary. Bryan Dawson-Szilagyi, Executive Committee
Chairman of AHF, was among those participating along with Dr. Lee Williams,
Professor of History from the University of St. Thomas and Dr. Witold
Lukaszewski, a Professor of Political  Science
from Sam Houston State University who brought a Polish perspective on
the events of October 1956.
A special thank you goes to University of St. Thomas President Dr. Robert
Ivany for hosting this symposium. AHF would also like to thank Gustavo
Wensjoe and Diana Garcia of the U. of St. Thomas' Center for  International
Studies for their work behind the scenes, U. of St. Thomas Board Member
Lee Cutrone Jr. and last, but not least, to Marianne Ivany for her moral
support.
 Finally,
on Sunday October 29th, the Hungarian American Cultural Association (HACA)
of Houston and AHF had a 1956 commemoration event complete with speakers,
poetry, and music and dancing. Csaba Teglas, as keynote speaker, gave
a very moving account of 1956  and
its meaning and AHF President Stefan Fedor presented Dr. Robert Ivany
with the Colonel Commandant
Michael Kovats Medal of Freedom. Ivany then addressed the audience,
reminding them of how the spirit of 1956 is still strong and must be preserved
through future remembrance. Also, the audience was treated to traditional
Transylvanian dancing from the  Csardas
Hungarian Dancers based out of Austin, Texas. After the poetry and music,
Freedom Dance was screened. AHF would like to thank Olga Bogdan for her
tireless work on putting this event together and thanks also go out to
Dr. Eva Stubits and Gabor Cserei.
We are happy to welcome HACA to the AHF family!
Please also check out the write up that the Houston
Chronicle did on Honorary Consul Phillip Aronoff... Phillip, thanks
for being there throughout all of this!
[Read
More about the other AHF organizational members].
[back to all AHF news]
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For more information on how you can get
involved in Texas, contact AHF Texas Chapter President,
Chris Cutrone
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Member's receive publicity on the AHF Website and eNewsletters. Importantly,
AHF serves as a central information resource for all. All are encouraged
to get involved with their local organizations! Contact info@americanhungarianfederation.org
LINKS:
- The MetroPlex Magyar Cultural Circle
serves the Dallas Fort Worth area. They produce an excellent electronic
newsletter. See their Website for more on their local activities
- The
Hungarian Multicultural Center Inc. (HMC) is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit
organization and supports the artist's role in society and cultivates
that relationship through education and innovative programming. You
can help insure our success by making a generous donation to the HMC
today. Your support is tax deductible!
Additional
Photos from Houston
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