Evangéliumi Hírnök, 1998 (90. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1998-02-01 / 2. szám

8. oldal 1998. február Dr. Alexander S. Haraszti His family and numerous friends will greatly miss Dr. Alexander S. Haraszti, who died on January 16,1998 in Atlanta. Dr. Haraszti was an ordained Baptist minister; a linguist who spoke eight lan­guages, and a physician who practiced first as an obstetrician-gynecologist in his native Hungary, and then in Atlanta for over three decades as a general sur­geon. Dr. Haraszti was bom in 1920 in Soltvadkert, Hungary. He received a doctoral degree in linguistics from the Royal Hungarian Pázmány Peter Univ. in Budapest in 1944, and was ordained as a Baptist Minister in Hungary in 1944 and for many years was a Professor at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Bu­dapest, Hungary. Over the next twelve years he preached the Gospel exten­sively as a minister in Hungary, in the process supporting both his own medical studies as well as the medical studies of his wife, Rosalie B. Haraszti. He re­ceived his medical degree from Sem­melweis University School of Medicine in Budapest in 1951. During the Hungarian uprising against Soviet domination in 1956, Dr. Alexander Haraszti left Hungary with his wife and five children, intent on pur­suing his goal of serving God as a medi­cal missionary. After a short stay in Vienna, Dr. Haraszti brought his family to the United States where he furthered his medical training, interning in St. Louis, then serving as a surgical resident at Emory University, the VA Hospital and Grady Memorial Hospital from 1960-1964. In the years that followed Dr. Haraszti realized his dream of be­coming a medical missionary, practicing in Ghana, Tanzania and the Gaza Strip. In addition to this mission work, Dr. Haraszti practiced medicine in College Park, Jonesboro and Henry County. In addition to his devotion to his fam­ily and patients, Dr. Haraszti committed over two decades of his life to fledgling evangelical movements in Hungary, Ro­mania, Czechoslovakia, East Gennany, Poland and the Soviet Union. Dr. Haraszti served for many years as the personal emissary of Billy Graham in Eastern Europe, ensuring that Dr. Gra­ham would accomplish his historically important goal of bringing the Gospel behind the Iron Curtain. Using his vast energy, intellect, considerable diplo­matic finesse and historical and religious insight to great advantage, Dr. Haraszti was instrumental in securing an invita­tion for Dr. Graham to preach first in Hungary in 1977, where he also served as Dr. Graham’s translator. Using this first evangelical opening to great effect, Dr. Haraszti secured invitations for Billy Graham to preach in Poland in 1978, East Germany and Czechoslovakia in 1982, and then the Soviet Union in 1982, 1984 and 1988. During that same time, Dr. Haraszti helped to secure the return of the Crown of St. Stephen to Hungary from the United States Government, which had obtained it during World War II. The crowning achievement of these efforts in Eastern Europe was the Cru­sade in Hungary in 1989, during which over 110,000 people gathered at the Peo­ple’s Stadium in Budapest with Billy Graham preaching and Dr. Haraszti translating. Dr. Haraszti was of the firm belief that the spread of the Gospel in Eastern Europe would help to create fis­sures in the control the communist re­gimes held in these nations. Determined to spread his faith in an ecumenical fash­ion, Dr. Haraszti labored to assist Chris­tians of all faiths to come together. He was instrumental in facilitating and ar­ranging the historical first meeting be­tween Pope John Paul II. and Billy Gra­ham on January 12,1981. Since retiring from his medical prac­tice in 1994, Dr. Haraszti worked exten­sively on his memoirs, chronicling his contributions to the Hungarian Baptist movement, and the important work that he performed with Billy Graham. He also continued to promote an ecumeni­cal spirit here in the United States as well as his native Hungary. Dr. Haraszti re­mained active until his death in the Ameri­can Hungarian Baptist Union, for which he served as president for many years, and for which he had been made honorary president at the time of his death. Dr. Haraszti gained the most delight from the frequent family gatherings he organized at his home in Atlanta, and from the larger family reunions he spear­headed in his birthplace of Soltvadkert. Dr. Haraszti is survived by his wife Dr. Rosalie Haraszti, his sons Dr. Joseph Haraszti and Dr. Leland Haraszti, his daughters Dr. Rose Badaruddin and her husband Syed Badaruddin, Stella Beer­­man and her husband, noted contempo­rary American composer Professor Bur­ton Beerman, his daughter Dr. Pamela Guoth and her husband Dr. Janos Guoth, his granddaughter Dr. Anisa Threlkeld and her husband Robert Threlkeld, his granddaughter Samantha Haraszti, his grandsons Chris Haraszti, Brent Beer­­man and his wife Sandy, Johnny Guoth, Kareem Badaruddin and his wife Denise, Shandor Badaruddin and his wife Michelle, and his great grandchil­dren Justin and Jessica Beerman, Bryce Saber Badaruddin and Anisa Rose Threlkeld, as well as four surviving sis­ters of Dr. Haraszti and numerous neph­ews and nieces. Dr. Haraszti is buried alongside his son Benedict Haraszti, who died in 1981. In lieu of flowers or gifts, contribu­tions can be made in memory of Dr. Alexander S. Haraszti, to the Sanctuary and Christian Education Building Fund of his childhood Church, The Baptist Church of Kiskunhalas, Hungary, which is in ruins. Please forward gifts to: The First Baptist Church of College Park, 1773 Hawthorne Avenue, College Park, GA 30337. Marked: Memory of Dr. Al­exander S. Haraszti. Funeral services were on January 21, 1998 at Pope & Dickson Funeral Home, Morrow, Georgia and at Sherwood Me­morial Park. Joseph S. Haraszti, MD

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