Our Mission

Our Mission

IMG_8562

The Hungarian House was the brainchild of Hungarian immigrants living in New York City in the early 1960s who considered it important that one of the world’s largest metropolises have a community establishment, a stronghold where the Hungarian-American diaspora can experience and maintain its Hungarian identity and cultivate Hungarian culture and language, and also create a bridge between Hungarian, Hungarian-American, and American societies by presenting Hungarian culture, art, and science.

The House currently provides community space for weekly Hungarian scout activities, Hungarian traditional activities organized by the Széchenyi István Society, the Social Circle that has been active for decades, Hungarian Mommy & Me groups, and Hungarian folk dance classes. Also operating in the building, the Hungarian Library offers 6,500 volumes of books for lending, and the Library Archive continuously collects and systematizes the history of Hungarians in North America. In addition to the permanent programs and services, we also organize festivities on Hungarian national holidays, as well as other Hungarian-related cultural programs and fairs.

The daily operations of the Hungarian House are carried out by the House Committee, delegated by the three co-owner organizations, as well as the Executive Director of the Hungarian House, but for an effective operation, the assistance of volunteers is indispensable. We welcome the support and volunteer work of all those who concur with the above-outlined cultural mission of the Hungarian House, consider the preservation of Hungarian culture and community life in New York City important, and want to make sure that all Hungarian immigrants and temporary visitors to the U.S. can feel at home among these walls.

Ildikó Nagy, Executive Director