It isn’t always easy to learn about Hungarian heritage and culture in English. Even if your family was intentional about sharing their heritage, information can get lost over time.
Our Hungarian Heritage Expo will help fill some of those gaps and encourage you to see all the ways you can make a deeper connection with your heritage! So you can pass it on!
At the Hungarian Heritage Expo you’ll …
Learn a variety of perspectives on topics relating to Hungarian heritage!
Discover creative ways to pass on the rich Hungarian culture to the next generation!
Meet others who are passionate about their Hungarian heritage, hear their stories, and share yours!
Learn more about Hungarian history!
Discover ways you can connect with your heritage and family story!
People allaround the world are cooking heritage foods, learning about folk art and folk music, studying the Hungarian language, planning trips to see their ancestral villages, and learning all they can about Hungarian history.
The sessions in the Hungarian Heritage Expo are designed to help you learn more about those things that interest you most and introduce you to some things you might not be aware of!
Meet Your Host
Hi, I’m Liz (Szabó) Vos!
All of my great grandparents emigrated from Hungary 100 years ago or more. Between 1880-1924 my ancestors came to the United States and spent time building their lives and families in Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio and McAdoo and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
From generation to generation the love for our Hungarian heritage has been passed down in a variety of ways and it continues to be. Little by little, things add up. I am sure my great grandparents would be tickled to know that even their great, great, great grandchildren know a few Hungarian words.
Sharing our heritage is something that is best done in community! So let’s work together!
Grab your ticket and join me and 20+ other speakers for a one-of-a-kind event that will help you take a deep dive into your Hungarian heritage. All presentations are in English!
This event is FREE and entirely ONLINE so you’ll be able to attend from anywhere in the world with internet access, even in your jammies from home!
The HUNGARIAN HERITAGE EXPO has over 25 pre-recorded presentations to choose from. Each day there will be 5 or more presentations available to you for a 24 hour period.
Want longer access to the presentations? Check out the All Access Pass!
Enjoy access to 25+ pre-recorded presentations covering topics about Hungarian history, culture, foods, folk music, genealogy, and more!
You can also choose the All Access Pass to have access to all pre-recorded presentations as well as extra bonuses until March 1, 2026!
There are several Heritage Connection LIVE sessions where we will gather together on Zoom and have conversations around the topics of Food, Language, Genealogy, Travel Tips, and Ways to Connecting with Others. These sessions are free to everyone who has signed up for their free ticket.
Our All Access Pass includes six months of additional access to the pre-recorded presentations!
The All Access Pass also offersour two bonus videos:
Sharing your Story — a quick start guide with 30 prompts (with digital download)
12 Hungarian Recipes Video – A guide to 12 Hungarian dishes to incorporate into your home if you don’t know where to start (with digital download)
and the following bonus resources:
Hungarian Citizenship Resource Guide (pdf) Hungarian Folk Art Coloring Pages (pdf) Travel Tips and Packing List for Hungary (pdf) Cultural Connections Worksheet (pdf and fillable) Embroidery by Regions (pdf)
This year all LIVE workshops open to anyone who has their free ticket! Come join the fun and be a part of the conversation!
Cultural HeritageAcross Continents: A Hungarian Heart in South Africa and Beyond
Ildikó "Ildi" Oravecz is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), speaker, facilitator, and the award-winning author of Tribal Abundance: Living Courageously in an Uncertain World. With a Master’s degree in Organizational Learning and Instructional Technologies, she is also a recipient of the ISPI Award of Excellence for instructional design. Her work is informed by her multicultural background, having lived in South Africa, Hungary, and New Mexico.
HistoryIntroduction to Ethnic Hungarian Minorities
Emese Latkóczy is a second generation Canadian-American Hungarian. An expert in ethnic Hungarian minorities, she is the executive director of the New York-based Hungarian Human Rights Foundation (HHRF) and a founder of its Reconnect Hungary Birthright Program. [She also serves on the boards of the American Hungarian Library and Historical Society in New York, and the Kossuth Foundation in Washington, D.C.]
MusicFrom Strings to Stories: My Journey with the Cimbalom
Andrew Check has been sharing his Cimbalom music with Hungarian communities across Ohio and Western Pennsylvania for the past 20 years. He began playing at a young age, thanks to the influence and encouragement of his father and grandfather. Hungarian music and culture have been a pivotal part of his upbringing, from assisting with his family’s Magyar radio show to participating in festivals and events throughout northeast Ohio. Having learned to play by ear without the aid of any formal music training, his passion for preserving the traditions of his family and culture have fostered a desire to continue sharing Hungarian folk melodies with all listeners.
Cultural ConnectionsUnitarianism Hungarian Connection
Gabor Kiss was born in Budapest, his family left for Canada at the time of the Revolution, has lived in USA since 1961. Married in Budapest, now divorced after 40 years. Gabor is a retired materials scientist and software engineer, worked in the Bell System, author of numerous papers and patents. His current interests are flying his 2-seater Cessna, learning tenor sax, connecting with Hungarian Unitarians in Transylvania, online Hungarian and French classes, and pondering the implications of AI.
Cultural ConnectionsThree Active Years in North America
Ildikó Antal-Ferencz has a degree in economics and became a freelance journalist in 2016. She is author or co-author of several books, hosted radio programs, round table discussions and conferences, appeared on television programs in Hungary. She's been living in the US (New Jersey) since July 2022 with her family and moves back to Hungary in August 2025. In the last 3 years, she authored 300+ articles about the Hungarian diaspora in North America and released five volumes (three in Hungarian and two in English) of her interview book ‘Being Hungarian in America’.
Dr. Péter Szaffkó, Professor of English Studies, theatre historian and literary translator. He got his degree in Russian and English at Kossuth Lajos University, the predecessor of the University of Debrecen, and started his career as an instructor at the Department of English in 1978. Later he became Director of the Institute of English and American Studies, and the founding chairman of the Department of English at Partium Christian University, Oradea, Romania. As a visiting professor, he taught in England, Austria, Poland, Romania and Canada, and has served as a travelling ambassador of the University of Debrecen since 2010. He published monographs and articles in Hungarian and foreign scholarly journals and translated more than a dozen English and Canadian fiction and drama. Currently, he has been working as Director of Debrecen Summer School since 2009.
HistoryThe Interactive Graphic History Project Proud & Torn, and Why Vernacular History Matters
Bettina Fabos (Ph.D., University of Iowa) is the writer and producer of Proud and Torn: A Visual Memoir of Hungarian History and Director of the Fortepan US cooperative photo history platform. She is also Professor Emeritus of Visual Communication and Interactive Digital Studies at the University of Northern Iowa. Her work revolves around digital culture, digital visualization, digital photo archiving, and the communication of historical narrative and public memory.
HistoryThe Interactive Graphic History Project Proud & Torn, and Why Vernacular History Matters
Leslie Waters is President of the Hungarian Studies Association and Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at El Paso. She was a historical advisor and editor on the Proud & Torn project.
Cultural ConnectionsSARA: Sharing America’s Resources Abroad
Marty Siegel is an occupational therapist who through the organization SARA , has made nineteen trips to Transcarpathia Ukraine. This area of Ukraine was once part of the Hungarian Empire; Hungarian customs are observed throughout the region. As a medical missionary Marty provides care and training at a children's home where the speak Hungarian and keep many of the traditions. The Good Sanitarian Home was built in part with assistance from The Hungarian Reformed Church. Marty has also volunteered in a long-term care home in the Troika region of Hungary. Her love for her Hungarian friends started with her first trip in 1999 and continues today with more trips planned and a lifelong connection.
I am Zsofia Miczek, founder of the World Known Zöldmáli Wirehaired Vizsla Kennel. I have been breeding and training Wirehaired Vizslas and other hunting dog breeds for 25 years now. I had been awarded by the Hungarian Kennel Klub numerous times for my breeding program (Aranykoszorús Mestertenyésztő) and for the achievements of my dogs in show and work. Several Zöldmáli dogs are living and performing successfully in the USA as well, more of them Westminster Winners and went all the way to the NAVHDA Invitational (top of hunt testing).
Laszlo Juhasz was born and raised in South-Central region of Hungary in Tolna Megye.
Since early childhood he was interested in music, math, physics and also the fabrication of music instruments. His dream was to be a musician as my grandfather was before he was killed by a seventeen year old Ukrainian boy at his home in Hungary, early 1945. He has been passionate and motivated to build music instruments since he was 12 years old.
He and his wife arrived to the United States in 1988 with the great help and support of the International Rescue Committee and many awesome people and friends. Currently he works for companies designing high- end audio and studio recording equipment, assistive and communication devices, high power electronics, defense and aerospace electronics.
His passion and success in electronics engineering is strongly related to his everlasting love of the music and the physics behind it, and that is true for old and traditional instruments like the Hungarian Zither as well.
Eszter Hollo was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. After taking private piano lessons and attending a "zenei tagozatos általános iskola" which is the equivalent of a choir school, she studied at the Conservatory and Liszt Academy, receiving her diploma in Piano Pedagogy and Chamber Music. She came to the US for her former husband's job at the Medical University of SC in Charleston where she raised her four boys and kept teaching piano, singing in choirs and play the organ for church services.
As an adult Jenő Németh became a mining professional. In his early years however, he learned to play various plucked instruments,
including the Hungarian zither. In his spare time as an adult, he also mastered the art of woodcarving. During the renaissance
of zither music in the sixties, he acquired one and reacquainted himself with playing the Hungarian zither.
He was not satisfied with the sound of the commercial instruments, and soon he made his first zither. He also organized
a zither-band whose twelve years of performances achieved national certification. Because his growing family later, and the
demand of his occupation, he no longer had time to deal with the band, but he continues making musical instruments to this day,
totaling 53 years. Nowadays, he is recognized as an innovative master of zither-making who is happy to share his knowledge
and experience with many students in Hungary and abroad, …. both in terms of playing and mastering zither construction.
István Nógrádi is a retired electrical engineer who has numerous scientific publications in the field of high-power radar technology. He started his engineering currier designing automated test equipment and later moved into the field of high-power electrical engineering research. He conducted research at the Georgia Tech Research Institute and simultaneously was a visiting lecturer at Emory University, both in Atlanta GA. He retired from Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems where he was the Lead Engineer on the Raptor Integration Laboratory.
Because of the incredible degree of poverty after WWII, the only musical instrument that was available to express the pain and suffering of the people in the remote villages of the country, was the Hungarian zither. As a native of Hungary, Istvan deeply understands the musical culture of the forties and the fifties of his native land. Saturdays, after a week of hard work out in the fields, people got together and sang their sad and sometime happy songs while one of the elders played a home-made zither. Those musical instrument were really basic and were not very well tuned but after a couple of glasses of home-brewed wine, they sounded fantastic.
After his retirement--one morning at about two--Istvan woke up his wife of forty-five years and ceremonially announced that he will build and research the science of the Hungarian zither. His wife lovingly responded that “you are crazy, the only thing you know is radars!” He responded: “that is good, I am not biased!” Since then, Istvan has built thirty-six Hungarian zithers in the United States. His zithers sound precise but accurately reflect the sound of those Saturday nights which he carefully guarded throughout some eighty-five years.
Cultural ConnectionsHungarian Heritage in Louisiana
Marci McKnight is a resident of Albany, Louisiana, home of the largest rural Hungarian settlement in the US. Marci is the vice president of the Arpadhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association. She has lived in Albany her entire life. She has deep Hungarian roots on her mother’s side of the family. Her purpose is to preserve our heritage in the community and throughout the state.
Cultural ConnectionsConnecting Americans, Hungarians, and Hungarian-Americans: Cultural Heritage in the New World
Zsuzsanna Varga studied English and Hungarian literature, and Portuguese studies; took her PhD in Scottish literature at the University of Edinburgh. She has taught Hungarian studies at the University of Glasgow since 2008 and has published widely about Central European cultural history. (https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/staff/zsuzsannavarga/#articles,books,booksections,bookreviews,publications). In 2025, she was elected the President of the American Hungarian Educators Association.
HistoryHistorical Literacy: It’s importance in understanding and valuing our Hungarian heritage.
Katalin Kádár Lynn, PhD, is an American Hungarian historian and book publisher (Helena History Press LLC). Scholar specializing in history related to World War II and Cold War immigrant political activities. Born in Budapest. Educated in Germany & the US. Doctorate in 20th Century Hungarian history from Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest.
GenealogyAccessing the Past, Empowering the Present – The Arcanum Newspapers Experience AND Arcanum Newspapers in Action: Search, Filter, Discover
Kincső Biszak is a customer service specialist at Arcanum, where she supports individual users, institutional partners, and international clients in navigating and utilizing the platform’s extensive digital archives. As the daughter of founder Sándor Biszak, she has been familiar with the company’s mission and activities from an early age, which contributes to her deep understanding of its services. Her role involves direct communication with a wide range of users, ensuring that both private individuals and organizations receive high-quality assistance in accessing historical content.
Cultural ConnectionsMemories Sewn Together: A Journey Through Art and Hungarian Heritage
Noemi Beres is a self-taught Hungarian artist living in Cyprus, creating mixed-media collages with vintage photos, postcards, and textiles. Inspired by her heritage and memories, she lets found materials guide her process. After personal loss, she discovered the healing power of art and now shares its benefits for self-expression and emotional well-being.
Author TalkTea with Tortes: A book talk about "Elegant Hungarian Tortes and Desserts for the American Baker"
Eve Aino Roza Wirth (daughter of Ella Kovács Szabó) grew up baking beside her mother, immersed in Hungarian customs and culinary traditions. She is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, her years have been spent as a graphic designer, event planner, fundraiser, non-profit board member, mother and wife.
“Tea with Tortes” book talk, celebrates the delicious confections presented in my mother's cookbook, as well as I will share the stories of courageous, resilient women who overcame hardships and persevered. My mom’s own account of how these recipes survived World War II in Europe; how she left Hungary during the 1956 Revolution and emigrated to America; and ultimately, how the recipes came into her possession, and inspired her to write this book.
Film TalkThe "70 for 70" Commemoration Series: Celebrating the Hungarian Spirit and Saluting the 70th Anniversary of the 1956 Revolution
Klaudia Kovács is a multi-award-winning Film & Theater Director; and has garnered a total of 37 awards. Ms. Kovács directed, produced, and wrote the story of Torn from the Flag, the most accomplished documentary in Hungarian film history about the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and the Cold War. The eight-time award-winning movie was an Oscar contender in "Best Documentary" and selected by five Academy Award-qualifying festivals. Ms. Kovács resides in Hollywood, California and works worldwide.
Educational OpportunitiesReboot Your Roots with the Hungarian Diaspora Program
Lilla Lakatos is a higher education professional who serves as a Senior Program Coordinator at Tempus Public Foundation, the coordinating organization of the Hungarian Diaspora Scholarship (HDS) Programme. She joined the organization 10 years ago, and she is currently involved in the coordination of the HDS student application process. Ms. Lakatos has also contributed to projects that aimed to strengthen international cooperation between universities and assist the internationalization process of Hungarian universities. As an international relations expert, she holds an MA degree in Global Politics, earned in Sweden.
Author TalkThe Angel Makers: Arsenic, a Midwife and Modern History’s Most Astonishing Murder Ring
Patti McCracken is a former journalist and international media trainer. She is the author of the highly-acclaimed historical true crime "The Angel Makers: Arsenic, a Midwife and Modern History’s Most Astonishing Murder Ring" (HarperCollins)
For nearly two decades, Patti lived in easternmost Austria, near the Hungarian border. She spent years researching The Angel Makers, and relocated to Szolnok for a short time in the early months of the reporting.
ArtThe Art of Hungarian Culture: The Hungary Series
Currently residing in Toronto, Canada, Scott obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology from the University of Waterloo in 1995 where he specialized in human anatomy and visual information processing. Applying his knowledge of applied anatomy and biomechanics, Scott takes a contemporary approach to his art, capturing the synergy of movement, energy, and emotion of subject matter. Scott’s work enhances many spaces both corporate and private.
GenealogyThe Most Rewarding Way to Get Hungarian Citizenship: Simplified Naturalization
As the director of Hungarian Language Solutions, Renata Forgacs (AKA the Hungarian Citizenship Lady) has been preparing learners for their Simplified Naturalization interviews for 15 years, since the law was first discussed in Parliament. Passionate about teaching Hungarian, Renata gets up and goes to bed thinking and talking about Hungarian citizenship!
LanguageThe linguistic landscape of American Hungarian cemeteries: Who is Hungarian in the cemetery?
Anna Fenyvesi is Associate Professor and Director of the Institute of English and American Studies, University of Szeged, Hungary. She lived in Pittsburgh from 1991 to 1996, working towards her PhD in linguistics at Pitt (which she received in 1998). She is a sociolinguist with an interest in the Hungarian language use of American Hungarians, bilingualism, and digital language use. She is co-author of Hungarian (Descriptive Grammars series, Routledge, 1998), editor of Hungarian Language Contact Outside Hungary: Studies on Hungarian as a Minority Language (Benjamins, 2005), and co-editor of Hungarian Roots and American Dreams: Tracing Personal History (Americana eBooks, 2024). She has recently completed a 5-month stint as a Fulbright Scholar at the Department of History, West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV, doing research into the linguistic heritage of American Hungarians in Appalachia. As of January 1, 2025, she has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of “Hungarian Cultural Studies”, the e-journal of the American Hungarian Educators Association.
GenealogyHow to Make Progress in Family History—No Matter Where You Are in the Journey
Based in Hungary, Réka Bakos is the co-editor of Hungarian Roots & American Dreams: Tracing Personal History, a collection of stories celebrating Hungarian-American heritage. As the leader of the broader Hungarian Roots & American Dreams initiative, she fosters storytelling and community building. Inspired by her great-grandparents, who emigrated to the U.S. in the early 1900s, she also founded rootStories to help individuals explore and document their family histories.
Andrea lives in Gödöllő, Hungary with her husband. She has been a tour operator for over 30 years and is passionate to include hidden treasures of Hungary in her tour programs. She loves exploring Hungary and spending time with her five young granddaughters.
Cultural ConnectionsWhat do Hungarians eat? What don't they eat?
Katalin was born and raised in Budapest, Hungary. She received a master's degree in teaching biology and ecology in Budapest from the Eötvös Loránd Science University.Since 2016, Kati has lived in California with her husband. She has been teaching Hungarian since 2018. She teaches at the House of Hungary in San Diego, here at The Hungarian Store, and she also teaches private classes. In her free time she loves hiking, cooking, and playing board games and jigsaw puzzles.
Food LIVE Cooking Demo: Fermented Cucumbers - Kovászos uborka
Ádám has spent 20 years in tourism all over in Europe. He has run a hotel in Italy and Austria, as well as Hungary. He is a passionate eater and believes the best way to have a superb dish is to make himself.
Cultural HeritageHungarian Wall Cloths: Art from Household to Museum
Joyce Corbett is an independent scholar and museum curator. Her Hungarian heritage brought her to explore the region. She has curated numerous exhibitions on the folk art and culture of Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. Her research grants included a Fulbright fellowship. Her current focus is in northern Hungary.
GenealogyTreasures in Boxes: Things discovered in my home and the homes of others...
Liz has created the Hungarian Heritage Expo to help others discover, celebrate, and share their Hungarian heritage and encourages others to do the same, particularly within their family. Her mother, Elizabeth A. Szabo, serves as her inspiration. Liz lives in southern Indiana with her husband, Don. She frequently travels to Hungary and loves when she gets an opportunity to visit with her relatives there.
Folk ArtEgg Decorating: Tips and Techniques for Applying Your Pattern
Timea Szep is from Csikszereda in Transylvania, Romania. She moved to the United States in 2005. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two children and visits her family in Transylvania as often as possible. Both Timea and her husband come from a Hungarian culture and have been keeping the traditions and language alive in their home as well.
LanguageWhat Makes Hungarian so…Hungarian? Demystifying the Language
Zsófi is a native Hungarian from beautiful Transylvania, the Hungarian area of Romania. Her mission is to show to the world how rich, descriptive and truly beautifully unique the Hungarian language and culture is. She has lived in 4 different countries, learned 6 different languages but her heart was always pulling her back home where her family is, where she can practice my own traditions and mother tongue and where her roots are. She started learning languages more then 25 years ago and her approach to language teaching is holistic, unique and effective.
As you can see from these amazing value-packed presentations, this is an event you do not want to miss. Grab your ticket and join us for the Hungarian Heritage Expo!
If you’re curious about Hungarian things, this event is for you! We’ll be specifically talking to those with Hungarian heritage (no matter the percentage) and focusing on learning more to be able to pass it on to the next generation, but anyone else who wants to learn more about Hungarian heritage and culture is welcome to join us. All sessions are in English.
While most of the presentations for the Expo are pre-recorded, there are a few live elements. The pre-recorded presentations are only available for 24 hours with your free ticket. So, we encourage you to attend Live with Liz sessions if you can! Set aside some time during the expo week to attend the live sessions, watch the pre-recorded presentations, and participate with others who are learning more about their heritage.
However, if you’re not able to attend any sessions live and you have limited availability during the Expo week, go ahead and grab your free ticket and watch what you can. You’ll have the opportunity to upgrade to the All Access Pass which will give you 4 additional months of access to the videos.
Your free ticket includes 24 hour access to each of the pre-recorded presentations. If you need more time, you can always upgrade your ticket to the All Access Pass after registering, which will give you four months of access to the presentations and three Live Workshops!!
To avoid tech glitches, give you the best possible experience, and keep things easy for the speakers, the presentations are pre-recorded. There will be some live opportunities – some available to all Expo attendees. Others are available only to those who have purchased the All Access Pass.
No, we will not share your email address. Each presenter has the option of sharing their social media information or their email address. You can decide who you want to stay in contact with.
If you still have questions, we encourage you to go ahead and sign up. We will have a pre-Expo live session on Sunday, August 24th where you can learn about how the Expo works.
However, if you need to ask us a question before registering, feel free to contact us.
