William Penn Life, 2008 (43. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2008-08-01 / 8. szám
Magyar Matters Hungarian community mourns loss of Imre Bertalan WASHINGTON — The Hungarian American community lost one of its most respected and distinguished leaders when Rev. Dr. Imre Bertalan passed away at his daughter's home in Schenectedy, N.Y., on July 10,2008. Dr Bertalan, 90, was the pastor of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Washington, D.C., for more than a quarter century. In addition, he was president emeritus of the American Hungarian Federation and founding board member of the Hungarian American Coalition. For over a decade he served as president of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, and he was a leader in the American Section of the World Alliance of Hungarians. In 2000 the Hungarian government awarded him the "Magyar Köztársaság Tisztikeresztje" for his life's work on behalf of Hungarian causes. Dr. Bertalan was bom in Nyirtass in Szabolcs County, Hungary in 1918. He attended the Sárospatak Seminary, and did postgraduate work in Halle, Germany, and Basel, Zurich and Geneva, Switzerland. Completing his studies in Switzerland in 1946, he was unable to return to Hungary due to Soviet occupation. Within a year, however, he received a scholarship to Princeton Seminary in New Jersey. He accepted his first post as a part-time pastor to the Hungarian Reformed Church on Staten Island. He would eventually become the minister of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Washington, D.C., in 1981. In 1980, he was elected President of the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America and led the Rev. Dr. Imre Bertalan 1918-2008 organization until his retirement in 1992. He holds an honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity from Hope College in Holland, MI (1988), and from the Theological Faculty of the Debrecen University (1989). "This is a great loss" said one of the elders of the Hungarian Reformed Church of Washington, "and he was a truly inspired leader... .Rev. Bertalan's true legacy will be the continued successful life of this church community, for many years ahead." A stalwart advocate of minority rights for Hungarian communities in post-Trianon borders, he lent his knowledge and good name to many AHF and other statements. As Chairman of the Board of AHF in 1996, he worked to ensure Hungary accession to NATO. He will be sorely missed. Our condolences to his family and his son, Rev. Imre Bertalan, Jr., who continues God's work and builds on his father's great legacy. Olympian’s death sparks controversy from The Budapest Sun The death of an Olympic champion has sparked a series of accusations as to who bears responsibility for the incident. Two-time Olympic champion and 14-time World Champion canoeist György Kolonics died July 15 at age 36, after he collapsed during training for the Beijing Games. It would have been his fifth, and last, Olympics. Kolonics, according to inital reports, died from heart failure, after collapsing in his canoe during a training exercise. He lost consciousness, and paramedics were unable to resuscitate him. Kolonics's trainer, Róbert Ludasi, blamed the ambulance service for the tragedy, saying that paramedics only arrived 37 minutes after they were called, and they didn't have a defibrillator in the car. The National Ambulance Service denied that, saying they were there in 17 minutes and started defibrillating Kolonics within 19 minutes. They also said that bandages were found on Kolonics's body, the existence of which were explicitly denied by Ludasi. It was later revealed the bandages were used to reduce muscular fatigue. "Using plasters to eclipse muscular fatigue for a man who already had heart problems"--Kolonics reportedly had a history of fainting during training--" is potentially dangerous, as it shades the body's signals of when to stop, before the operation of the heart collapses," a family doctor told The Budapest Sun. Opposition party Fidesz claimed that the government was responsible for the tragedy, saying the Gyurcsány government's policy on the ambulance service has resulted in a lower standard of service. Fidesz is pressing the government to ensure that every citizen has access to an ambulance within 15 minutes of an emergency call being made. Hungarians to host Toledo-area festival August 17 EAST TOLEDO, OH - The streets of the Birmingham section of East Toledo will be filled with the sights, sounds and flavors of Hungary when the community celebrates its Annual Birmingham Ethnic Festival on Sunday, Aug. 17. The festival will be held in the area of Consaul and Front streets from noon to 10:00 p.m. The event will feature performances of Hungarian musical and dancing groups on three stages throughout the afternoon, as well as a full menu of homemade Hungarian foods and pastries. The evening will include a traditional táncház at the Calvin United Church of Christ. For more information, go to the festival’s website at: www.birminghamethnicfestival.org. William Penn Life, August 2008 17
