Hungarian Heritage Review, 1991 (20. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
1991-01-01 / 1. szám
Hungarian-American Profiles Of the three important events this past year (1990) which were exceptionally gratifying to Hungarian star of stage and screen, Eva Szörényi, she says that the downfall of communism in Hungary is, to her, the most noteworthy. She also said that the incidents which brought about the demise of totalitarian dictatorship in her homeland seemed unexpected, even miraculous. Szörényi and her friends in the Hungarian Freedom Fighters Federation had stood steadfast against the apathy and criticism which kept insisting that there was no possibility of freeing Hungary from communist bondage. Yet, miracle of all miracles, it happened! Another great moment for Eva Szörényi this past year was her opportunity to greet the first freely elected Prime Minister of Hungary, Dr. Joseph Antall when he visited the Los Angeles area last October. "It was, indeed, an unforgettable occasion when I had the privilege of welcoming Dr. Antall, the valiant leader of the new-born Hungarian nation, to the Hungarian community of Los Angeles," she said. When Dr. Joseph Antall, accompanied by some members of his Cabinet visited Los Angeles as honored guests of the Hungarian Freedom Fighters Federation on the occasion of the anniversary of the aborted Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (October 23rd, 1990), which has now been designated as a National Holiday by the new Republic of Hungary, Eva Szörényi chaired the commemorative festivities. These included an impressive banquet held in the Crystal Ballroom of the Biltmore Hotel that was attended by 500 persons, and a solemn ceremony in front of the Hungarian Freedom Fighters Memorial Monument at Cardinal Mindszenty Square in MacArthur Park. On these occasions, she movingly recited two poems: "Üzenet Haza" by Dr. Albert Wass and She Dreamed the Impossible Dream: EVA SZÖRÉNYI (ÖRMÉNYI) -by-Claire L. Vereczky "Mennyből Az Angyal, Menj Sietve" by Sándor Marai. An active officer of both the World Federation of Hungarian Freedom Fighters and the Los Angeles Chapter of the Hungarian Freedom Fighters Federation, Eva Szörényi has chaired several fund-raising campaigns on behalf of the relief of flood victims in Hungary and Transylvania in the early 1970's; sending shipments of food to help the suffering and starving in Transylvania in the 1980's; organizing benefits for helping refugees escaping from Romanian terrorism; and, in 1981, organizing a benefit which sent $5,000 to Lech Walesa and the Polish Solidarity Movement. In addition, as a prominent member of the Hungarians for Freedom in Romania Committee of the Southern California Hungarian Executive Council, formed after the 1989 Christmas Revolution by leaders of various Southern California organizations, she played a leadership role in collecting more than $38,000 for destitute Hungarians in Transylvania. A signal event last year which Eva Szörényi will not forget was her investiture as a Dame in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, more commonly referred to as the Order of Malta. John Lupkovich, President of the Hungarian Association, traveled to San Francisco from Budapest for the imposing ceremony. He personally invested Szörényi into the highly esteemed Catholic organization, which is dedicated to service for mankind, adding the ill, and helping the oppressed. These altruistic dedications have long been characteristic of Szörényi and, adamantly opposed to communism, she has kept her vow never to return to her native land until liberated from the communist yoke. Yet she has devoted a great deal of time and has generously contributed her talents in pursuit of the seemingly impossible dream of helping to secure freedom for —continued next page 14 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW JANUARY 1991
