Hungarian American Coalition News, 1993 (2. évfolyam, 1. szám)
1993 / 1. szám
The Rebirth of the Kolozsvár Kollégium In the spring of 1991, Bishop Kálmán Csiha came to North American on a fund raising mission for the Reformed Church's high school in Kolozsvár, Transylvania. Ceaucescu had closed the school, and after his fall, the government permitted it to reopen. However, rather than returning the school’s 300 year-old-building, the school was only permitted to rent woefully inadequate and inconvenient classroom and dormitory spaces. The rental agreement expires in September 1993. With no hope that the old building would be returned, the Reformed Church began construction of a new school. The first phase of construction will be completed by September 1993. This new building has become a reality only through the generous support of individuals, organizations, and churches. Hopefully, it will accommodate the students until more money can be raised to complete the building. Bishop Csilla suggested that he would like to increase the ties between his students and people in North America. The “Adopt a Student” program was started with this in mind. Many of the students cannot afford room and board or books. Withasimple$20-a-month donation, individuals can become “godparents” to a student. In the 1992-93 school year, 150 students received financial support in this way, and the school hopes that more students will be “adopted” in the coming year. An important part of the program has been the students’ correspondence with their “godparents.” Their letters have done much to create bonds of friendship between strangers, as can be seen from this letter from a 14-yearold student: “...I thank you for your kind letter which made me unbelievably happy. ..What surprised me most was your understanding tone. Then, when I found the extra gift in your letter addressed to my Mother, I simply couldn’t wait to get to my faraway home. How very happy my dear mother will be and what joy it will cause her to think that from such a long way away there is someone who feels our needs, our sadness, and cares enough to help... “...I have been working hard in school, with lots of long assignments, tests, compositions. I can’t wait to get home to spend Easter with my family. I really miss them so much. But I feel those of use who are far away from home are really lucky in a way: when we have to travel hundreds of kilometers to go home, we treasure each moment of every visit!" Tax-deductible contributions to the school or the “Godparents Program” should be sent to: Ms. Gabriella Nadas, Calvin Synod School Fund P.O. Box 36141 Canton, OH 44735 Please make checks payable to the CALVIN SYNOD. A detailed financial report is available upon request from Ms. Nadas. CHEF (Comprehensive Health Education Foundation) special program on healthy life choices at the Batthanyi Ilona Elementary School in Mátyásföld, Hungary. by Julianna Chaszar The territorial changes of the interwar and postwar periods created sizable Hungarian populations in the countries bordering Hungary. They struggled to maintain their ethnic identity throughout those changes, and now are facing new challenges brought by widespread political upheaval in Eastern Europe. National Public Radio's news program, "All Things Considered...," recently examined the reasons why ethnic Hungarians are not satisfied with their present status in Hungary’s neighboring countries. The three-part series, entitled “Hungarians and Nationalism," featured numerous interviews with ethnic Hungarians to clarify a viewpoint which often meets with little or no sympathy in the region. László Hamos, President of the New York-based Hungarian Human Rights Foundation was instrumental in providing NPR with contacts for the interviews. Are ethnic Hungarians really deprived of their rights? Common objections such as this were raised in the series to test the validity of Hungarian claims. The program noted that the Hungarian demands seem excessive, for instance, to some Slovaks who see the Hungarian minority as privileged. The United States was cited as an example of a country where ethnic diversity thrives without the granting of special rights. Why couldri t the same be true of Central and Eastern Europe? The program emphasized that border changes in the region after both world wars forced some Hungarians to alternate between citizenship in two (Continues on page 10) Summer 1993 • Hungarian American Coalition News • 9 National Public Radio Examines Hungarians and Ethnic Identity
