Verhovayak Lapja, 1946 (29. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1946 / Verhovay Journal
August 28, 1946 Verhovay Journal FROM HUNGARY JOIN VERHOVAY —— NEWCOMERS It is a great pleasure to introduce four new members of Branch 5o3, Chicago, III., who having lived through the excruciating experiences of the war in Hungary, arrived recently in the Windy City. Frank VICTOR MAGDICS Balogh, manager of Branch 503, was among the first to offer them a cordial welcome upon their arrival and to invite them to join the Verhovay. Victor Magdics, a former resident of Chicago, returned with his wife and their daughter, Helen, to Hungary, their native country, in April, 1939. Having built a beautiful home in Felsőcsatár, Vas county, where he owned some land, they planned to settle there. Soon after arriving in Hungary, however, conditions changed to the worse, but Mr. Magdics, an American citizen, enjoyed the protection of the Hungarian government and was permitted to cultivate his land, until the Russians came. For nine days and nights the battle raged in and around the little community whose population sought refuge in the woods bordering the town- At last the Germans retreated and the noise of the battle ceased. Returning to their home, they found themselves robbed of all their earthly possessions. That was the last strawl Brokenhearted, they bade farewell to the land of their hopes and disillusionments, and returned to America, “the land—says Mr. Magdics—where a man is free to think and to talk as he pleases.” DOROTHY MAGDICS Little Dorothy was born in Hungary during the stay of her parents in Felsőcsatár. Fear, hunger, cold, the roaring of bombers and endless thunder of guns, fires lighting up the night, and the agonizing cries of the wounded make up her childhood memories. All that is of the past now, for Dorothy has arrived in wonderland . . , and she wept with joy when she saw how abundantly this land is blessed with things which she has heard of from her parents but never before seen . . . ERNEST and MARY VARGA Ernest and Mary were born in Chicago and were taken to Hungary to their grandparents in 1932. Ernest, 18, and Mary, IS, grew up in Csem, Vas county. Learning the lathwork trade in Vienna for four years, Ernest returned to Csem when Vienna was made the target for bombings. Soon, however, Csem, too, became a battlefield- The advancing Russians and retreating Germans fought for ten days for the little town and Ernest was there in the middle of it all, for the male population was commanded to dig trenches for the Russians. After that came gravedigging, for the dead Germans and Russians had to be buried by the Page 3 civiliafi population. Returning, finally, to their homes, they found them empty. Nothing of value was left to the unfortunate people . . . The people of Csem still cannot tell what time it is, for there isn’t a single clock or watch left in the entire village. Ernest and Mary are now back in the States and have recovered from their horrible experiences. The members of the Verhovay extend their heartiest welcome to our new members and hope that they will find here all the happiness that was denied to them in the old country.------------v-----------Be a Borrower A High School Senior, aching to display his knowledge at home, quoted copiously from Hamlet. His old dad interrupted him: “Son, you’ve just struck a line that interests me. ‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be.’ That was supposed to be good advice when it was penned. It might not be sound advice under all circumstances today. When Polonius said that he was referring to money, of course. Now I’m going a step further, and turn right around and say to you ‘Both a borrower and a lender be.’ But when I say that, I am not talking about money. “I’m talking about something you will find worth a whole lot more than money. When you get ) older you will find it’s the thing that makes life a little easier for us all. It is to human beings what sunshine is to flowers. You might call it brotherly love. You might call it charity. You might call it benevolence. Whatever you call it, it’s the kindly feeling that one man has for another. I want you to develop that feeling in yourself, son. That’s why I say, ‘Both a borrower and a lender be.’ “Your whole life will be spent borrowing the ideas and ideals of others. If you keep that debt you owe humanity in mind, it will be easier to understand why you should be ready to lend a helping hand to those who need one. “Borrow a smile when you are in trouble. It will help you forget for a moment anyway. A smile is a seed ichich will grow. It will bear fruit. It will help lift the shadows from your heart. Then you can pay it back to the world in hearty laughter. “There will be other times when you will have a surplus of good cheer. Don’t hoard it. Lend it out to anyone who needs encouragement. You can lend it with the assurance that you are adding to the stores of sunshine in the world which already have brightened your life. • “Borrow inspiration from the lives of those around you. Try to live so that your life may lend inspiration to them. But, son, don’t spoil it all by puffing up with vanity over self-righteousness. Don’t make the mistake of trying to compel others to live according to your ideas. You can better spent your life looking for opportunities to help them live better according to their own ideas. “And son, if others want to help you when you find a little bit of good to do, let them. Don’t give the impression that you are trying to monopolize the passport 3» heaven." — Selected. (The North American Union News) mmmmnmm* ini i in s srss si* SUNKIST SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ECHOES By Albert B. Steinmetz Member of Branch 525 s a. _ □ .!*SSaSBlBBBBSI JPJJI HHH HU se u moms MISS BARBARA PASTI There is a young lady, Miss Barbara Pasti, from boisterous New York City, vacationing in our Sunkistland for a few months’ ... a good looking blonde with dreamy eyes that change color as her temperament or mcod may change. She is a fellow Verhovay member and proudly calls Branches 35 and 83, both in N. Y. C., as her branches. She is an enthusiastic Verhovayan and proud of the fact that she is a member of the largest Hungarian fraternal insurance association in the world. Barbara Pasti, as she is known in the Opera, concert, radio, music or the stage, as the case may be, but her Hungarian friends call her Pászty Bertus, who celebrates January 12th as her birthday, but for the year? Her answer was, “I never remember number of years. They are immaterial!” (However I happen to know that she is still in her late twenties.) Another question she sidetracked was to what religious denomination she belonged. “When you are on the stage or in opera, you do not discuss religion or beliefs because people misunderstand and you are bound to make many enemies. I don’t want to be claimed by any group!” I think she is right! (I have known of a famous person who came tc Los Angeles years ago. Two denominational groups claimed this person their own but this person decided to belong to a third group because of the unwelcome publicity given in the same newspaper by the two groups.) Barbara is a keen observer, and her hobby, astrology,, gives her an insight to peoples’ whims, ways and manners leng before anyone notices it. She claims she spent about $5,000 on studying astrology. (Please do not misunderstand; she is not a fortune teller!) Another $25,000 was expended on her musical career in her Lifetime thus far, which she began years ago in Cincinnati, Ohio . . . incidentally, she was born in Dayton, Ohio. (Your home town, M H!) She went to a private girls’ school and at the age of eight, she began taking piano lessons. By the time she was 15, she sang with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and was awarded the opveted Gold Medal by the Cincinnati Opera Company. All of her musical knowledge, dramatic art, languages, ballet, and opera she studied at the Musical College of Cincinnati and she is the only Hungarian singer graduated with highest honors. Barbara speaks the Hungarian language fluently and perfectly, in fact, she is very proud of her nationality. It is really a pleasure to hear her excellent Hungarian speech. She tells me that years ago the Hungarian daily “Szabadság” used to give her many Hungarian books as prizes for her many Hungarian essays. Also, she speaks Italian French, Spanish and German and sings in twelve different languages quite capably. Barbara has never been married and there is no one in particular in her love life. She is in Los Angeles with her mother who is her constant companion and she has with her two’ pets, a dog called Peppy . . . she says it’s a “Briand-terrier” and Sonny Boy, a cat with a mixture of Angora and Persian ancestry. However, she’ll never forget her former small fox terrier Dotty, famous singing dog of stage and radio fame, which even made Bob Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” radio program twice. Doty passed away a few years ago I watched and listened to this lyric soprano singer on several occasions, in private parties as well as on the stage. She is indeed very good, especially on the fast jolly numbers such as any gay Hungarian csárdás, but is equally good be it an operatic number, religious hymns, folk songs or popular numbers, and her superb piano playing is quite a feat in itself When she accompanies herself she performs the double duty superbly. She claims she is madly in love with California and is here for an extended vacation (this is not her first visit) however, she is to appear in about five western concerts before she returns to New York City this fall. I am anxiously waiting for the second Hungarian Song Book compiled by Miss Pasti, to be published this fall by E. B. Marks Co., publishers of New York City. Her book will be called “Memories of Budapest” and will have the words and music to very many Hungarian favorites. Miss Pasti has appeared in many Hungarian Verhovay Concerts, is well known in operatic circles, in radio and on the stage. Her appearances before notables at the Vanderbilt affairs also at the Hotel Commodore in New York City where she sang before Mrs. F. D. Roosevelt and other famous personages from time to time, place her in the top bracket with the best. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if before long she’ll be signed for the movies, too. We of Los Angeles Hungarians will have a chance to listen to her singing on the “California Magyarság’s” 10th yearly “Press Day Festival” to be held on September 8th at La Crescenta, Calif. I am proud to have your friendship, Barbara, and we Verhovayans greet you on the pages of the Journal from coast to coast— may you sing for us for very many years to come!
