Magyar News, 1994. szeptember-1995. augusztus (5. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1995-05-01 / 9. szám

ON THE WINGS OF MUSIC

Outstanding local talent will be tapped on Sunday, May 21, when the Mary Katona Scholarship Committee of the American Hungarian Heritage Association will present a benefit music program “Rhapsody Festival” at the Stratford Library's Memorial Room at 3:00 PM. The Stratford Public Library will co-sponsor this event

This Greater Bridgeport area is rich in musicians of all ages. The group of artist who have agreed to perform in a varied program of Viennese-Hungarian music are: Casandra Havens Andreas of Huntington; Kristina Beres of Fairfield; Suzanne Bona of Shelton; Rozsika Deutsch of Bridgeport; Julia Fulop of Fairfield; Nicholas Komenda of Fairfield; Roberta Wargo-Sammis of Stratford; Olga Svetlik and Michael Karpilov of Fairfield.

People who would like to have a good time, support the Mary Katona Scholarship and encourage our students in higher education, are invited to become patrons for this program; Individual Patrons $20.00, couples $30.00. General admission is $10.00. Both are tax-deductible for this non-profit educational effort. Reservations are required due to limited seating. Please call Mrs. Bette Standish Johnson for tickets (203) 255-8857.

FORGIVE US

if you find a need for it A couple of our subscribers noticed, so did we, that the code numbers in a few cases were not updated. This means that the payments were properly recorded but the information wasn’t put on the list of addresses. Let us know at any time if there is anything we should be doing.

Part of the kitchen crew.

David Franko, Eva and Terrance Fazekas, Mary Fiasko, Helen Lipusz, and Joseph Szilagyi. John Mavrogianes was responsible for the hall. The set-ups were taken care of by Goldie Terebesi, Mary Reszkető, Morgan Rescsanski, Anne Kutnik, and Steve Terebesi. Thanks for their outstanding work.

AMERICAN STEPS • HUNGARIAN HERITAGE

The Mary Katona Scholarship program of the American Hungarian Heritage Association requires an essay written by the applicants. The Magyar News publishes these works in the issues following the award ceremonies.

My name is Julianna Poznan, I was born on January 2, 1960 in New Brunswick, New Jersey. My parents are the Rt. Rev. Dr. Francis and Mrs. Vilma Vitéz. My father is the present bishop of Calvin Synod, United Church of Christ. I am the oldest of three children. My brother, Imre, is a chemist working in research and development and my sister, Ilona, has a career working with computers.

I grew up in Perth Amboy, New Jersey in the parsonage of the John Calvin Magyar Reformed Church where my father has been the minister since 1955. My parents spoke to us only in Hungarian and my father taught us to read and write in Hungarian. As a child, I learned Hungarian poems and songs that I would recite at the local March 15th and Hungarian church programs. I studied fencing at the Hungarian American Athletic Club in New Brunswick for many years and was a member of the Bartók Children’s Chorus led by Rev. Imre Bertalan. I spent the summers of 1974, 1976 and 1979 in the Felvidék visiting relatives and in Hungary where I attended the Summer School in Sárospatak for children of Hungarian descent living abroad. We studied the Hungarian language and literature, history, music, culture, folk dancing, etc. and traveled all around Hungary.

During my high school years, I became the organist at my church, I sang with the Kodály Chorus of New Jersey under the direction of the late Rev. Andrew Hamza and I learned Hungarian embroidery. I helped organize the local March 15 th program for our church and sang with the Kodály Chorus throughout New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C. at many Hungarian programs including the Hungarian Festival at the Garden State Arts Center for several years. I was a debutante at the Hungarian Protestant Ball in New York City in 1976 and continued ball for many years. I graduated from Alma Prep, private high school in Zarepath, New Jersey 1978 as valedictorian of my class. In the summer 19801 attended the summer school at the Teacher’s College in Debrecen, Hungary, where I received a certificate.

I was selected to be a member of the Honors Program upon acceptance to Upsala College in East Orange, New Jersey. I studied for a double major in Political Science and French and was on the Dean’s List every semester. I graduated summa cum laude in 1982 receiving a certificate from Phi Beta Kappa and the Upsala Award which is given to the top ten students of a graduating class.

I married Rev. Bela Poznan, the pastor of the Hungarian Christian Reformed Church of Gyorke (near Kassa, Felvidék) in July, 1982. We lived in Gyorke where he continued his pastoral ministry and I improved my fluency in the Hungarian language. I became the organist of our congregation where I played three services each week on a magnificent pipe organ. We returned to the United States in December 1983 when my husband was elected pastor of the John Calvin Magyar Reformed Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey and received a scholarship from Princeton Theological Seminary. I taught Sunday School, was choir director and helped organize local Hungarian celebrations and programs. I worked full time at Digital Solutions, Inc. in East Brunswick, N.J. as an administrative assistant for two years. I was selected to be the sole delegate of the Calvin Synod at the United Church Board for World Ministries for five years where I had the opportunity to share the situation of our Hungarian brethren living in Hungary, Transylvania, Czechoslovakia, etc. with influential church leaders.

We moved to New York City in October 1985 to the parsonage of the First Hungarian Reformed Church on East 69th Street. Our daughter, Krisztina, was bom in 1986 and our son, Attila, was born in 1988. We speak to our children only in Hungarian and travel frequently to Europe to keep our heritage alive in their lives. I served as organist of the church which holds all services only in Hungarian. I was active in the Hungarian community through the church which sponsored many Hungarian cultural events. I taught English as a second language to newly arriving immigrants from Hungary, Erdély, and Felvidék for many years, sometimes four evenings each week. In 1991, I was the treasurer of the Spring Tour of the Kolozsvár Choir to the United States and Canada.

We moved to Fairfield, CT in March 1994 where my husband was elected pastor of the Calvin United Church of Christ. I am active in the church as part of many organizations, the Sunday School and as organist supply. I taught Vacation Bible School to third graders this past summer. We are currently in the process of re-establishing the Hungarian language Saturday School at the church where I teach the Kindergarten class.

I began my studies at Hunter College in New York City in 1991 for a Masters degree in elementary education. I am fulfilling the student teaching requirement at the present time. I currently have a 3.8 average and I will graduate in May 1995. I will seek teacher certification and a position in Connecticut.

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