2018 AHF Advent Program

12/1/2018 – 2018 AHF Advent Program On December 1st after the 2018 General Assembly, AHF held was an extraordinarily moving event about what the Hungarian family really means, about the excitement of children at Christmas, about love, about celebrating Advent, about working together, about remembering our Hungarian heritage and Christmas folk tales and songs.

Master of Ceremonies, Board Member Zsuzsanna Dreisziger Stricz thanked the guests from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and DC for coming and bringing their families to this Advent celebration. She expressed gratitude to Dr. Imre Szakács, Diplomat Responsible for the Hungarian Community, Judit Czákó, Foreign Affairs Attache, from the New York Consulate, and Peter Gyombolai, Senior Advisor – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary from the Washington Embassy for attending the Advent Program with their families.

Ms. Dreisziger thanked the Hungarian American Athletic Club of New Jersey for their help and letting AHF hold their Advent program there and Father Imre Juhasz, Marika Stumpf and her husband János, Dr. Judit Kerekes, Judit Papp, and Anna Rose Tóth and Tamás Tóth for their work in making this event successful and creating a wonderful environment. She invited the AHF Board members to the dais to welcome the guests together.

She wished the guests a Blessed Advent, and a peaceful, love filled holiday. She mentioned that Advent is a time of waiting and hope, a time of preparation for Christmas. Christians await the Savior’s birth with 4 candles, called Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. She asked Dr. Judit Kerekes to share with us the first letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, ” The Hymn of Love”. Two young Hungarian Scouts Attila and Buda Kun-Szabó then lit the first Advent candle, Hope. She then asked Reverend Zsolt Ötvös Pastor of the New Brunswick Hungarian Reformed Church to give a blessing to the Community, and Father Imre Juhasz of the Saint Ladislaus Catholic Church to start the Hungarian Christmas songs.

Then she asked the Tóth Family to come up and lead the wonderful Hungarian Christmas caroling, and all of the guests joined in the singing. Then as the excitement grew the Mikulás came into the auditorium with Christmas greetings, folk tales, and presents for the children. The enormous joy of the children and the adults can be seen in the pictures.

Paul Kamenar, AHF General Counsel thanked Ms. Dreisziger for her extensive work in designing and managing the Advent Program and presented her with a silver Christmas tree and an assortment of Godiva chocolates.

A wonderful Hungarian dinner followed that was cooked by Father Imre, with various types of sausages, pork and potato dishes, and purple cabbage. There was mulled wine, an open bar, soda and many types of delicious Hungarian pastries for dessert.

December 1, 2018 AHF General Assembly and Board Meeting

AHF held its biannual General Assembly at the Hungarian American Athletic Club in New Brunswick, N.J. in order to elect new officers and board members, and discuss the future. Akos L. Nagy was elected to his final term as National President, Gyula E. Balogh was elected as Co-President, and Paul Kamenar was elected as Chair of the Executive Committee and General Counsel. Atilla Kocsis was elected as Treasurer, Maria Stumpf as Assistant Treasurer, Ildiko as Secretary. In addition 5 new Vice Presidents were elected. At the ensuing Board meeting Dr. Imre Nemeth was elected as Chairman of the Board, and Adam Grosz as Vice-Chair. (read more-link to right side where previous leadership was listed)