November 28, 2006

The Board Commemorates the 50th Anniversary
of the Hungarian Revolution

At its November 27th meeting, the Board of Legislators commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution when Hungarians stood up against communism, planting the seeds of freedom in eastern Europe that followed more than 35 years later.  County Legislator George Oros organized the program to acknowledge the courage and spirit of these "Freedom Fighters" and along with Chair Bill Ryan presented a proclamation to the Consul General of the Republic of Hungary on behalf of the Board.

Oros spoke proudly of his own Hungarian-American roots and of the contributions of Hungarian-Americans to the growth and rich heritage of Westchester County, noting, in particular, the Hungarian-American community that played such a significant role in the prosperity and growth of Peekskill.

Click here to read the proclamation that provides an account of the Hungarian Revolution.

Photo Gallery from the event:

Miklos & Lehel Ujvari perform a musical interlude of traditional Hungarian songs, including Csardas.
Rt. Rev. József Vásárhelyi, Auxiliary Bishop, Hungarian Reformed Church of Passaic, gave an inspiring invocation to start the Board meeting, in both Hungarian and English.	Peekskill Historian John Curran, author of “The Influence of the Hungarian Immigration on Peekskill,” gives a brief history on the Hungarian refugees who fled to America in the 1950's.
	Csaba Teglas, a White Plains resident, shared his memories of living in Hungary at the time of the 1956 Revolution.
County Legislator George Oros and Chairman Bill Ryan presented a proclamation to Gabor Horvath, Consul General of the Republic of Hungary.