Author: Roma Hadzewycz

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, N.J. – The Iskra Ukrainian Dance Academy and the Iskra Ukrainian Dance Ensemble that emerged from it, celebrated 20 years of educating youngsters and audiences about the beauty and uniqueness of Ukrainian folk dance with a special presentation here at the College of St. Elizabeth on Sunday, October 16. The event drew an...

Tamara Olexy served two terms (eight years) as president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America. The UCCA’s recent Congress of Ukrainian Americans elected Andriy Futey as her successor, and our Kyiv colleague Mark Raczkiewycz spoke with him via Skype about his new role (See “Newly elected president of UCCA speaks about the tasks ahead,”...

KERHONKSON, N.Y. – Undaunted by threatening skies, which eventually yielded to rain, over 3,000 visitors flocked to the Soyuzivka Heritage Center for the 10th Ukrainian Cultural Festival on July 8-10. Oksana Mukha of Lviv, and Kyivans Ivo Bobul (originally from Chernivtsi) and Viktor Pavlik (originally from Terebovlia, Ternopil Oblast) were the show’s headliners. They were joined by virtuoso violinist Vasyl Popadiuk, master bandurist Victor Mishalow and vocalist/musician Oleh Skrypka. Also on the bill were two perennial festival favorites, the Dumka Chorus of New York and the Roma Pryma Bohachevsky Ukrainian Dance Workshop, as well as the folk musicians known as…

KERHONKSON, N.Y. – The professional organization Ukrainian Journalists of North America (UJNA) held its third conference here at the Soyuzivka Heritage Center on May 20-22. The event brought together a group of journalists from the United States and Canada who represented various news media outlets – including Svoboda and The Ukrainian Weekly of Parsippany, N.J.,...

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The New Jersey District Committee of the Ukrainian National Association held its annual meeting here at the UNA Home Office on Saturday, April 2. Representatives of UNA Branches 37, 42, 76, 133, 171, 269, 287 and 385 were in attendance. After lunch was served, District Chairman Oksana Stanko opened the proceedings by welcoming all to the meeting. Meeting participants voted a presidium consisting of Michael Koziupa as chairman and Stephan Welhasch as secretary. The UNA Executive Committee was represented by UNA First Vice-President Koziupa and Treasurer Roma Lisovich. Also present was Yuriy Symczyk, the UNA’s fraternal coordinator,…

KERHONKSON, N.Y. – Two members of the UNA General Assembly who had traveled great distances to attend its annual meeting, Luba Poniatyszyn Keske from California and Olya Czerkas from Florida, accepted the flame from the Bethlehem Peace Light that had been brought to Kerhonkson, N.Y., by local members of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization. These Plast members and others had traveled to JFK International Airport, where the light was flown from Austria. The two UNA advisors accepted the Peace Light from the Rev. Dr. Ivan Kaszczak, pastor of Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church, after Sunday liturgy on December 13, 2015. Every…

Marked growth reported in assets, income KERHONKSON, N.Y. – The Ukrainian National Association’s General Assembly convened its first regular annual meeting since the UNA convention of 2014 at the Soyuzivka Heritage Center on Friday through Sunday, December 11-13. The General Assembly, which is the highest decision-making body of the UNA between its quadrennial conventions, reviewed the fraternal benefit society’s activity for the past year and adopted a plan of action for 2016. The weekend’s sessions were marked by good news about the UNA’s progress during 2015, including a significant increase in assets, which in the first nine months of…

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The New Jersey District Committee of the Ukrainian National Association held its fall organizing meeting here at the UNA Home Office on November 20. The meeting was conducted by District Chair Oksana Stanko. Representatives of the following UNA branches attended: 25, 37, 42, 133, 171, 269 and 287. The main topic of discussion was enrolling new members into the UNA, and the main speaker at the meeting was National Secretary Christine E. Kozak, who addressed the status of the UNA’s organizing campaign and changes to the UNA’s annuity products. Ms. Kozak reported that insurance sales are lethargic…

WASHINGTON – Thousands of Ukrainians from across the United States traveled to Washington for the dedication and blessing of the long-awaited Holodomor Memorial on Saturday, November 7. They came on charter buses, in private cars and via all modes of public transportation from Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts, Ohio, Michigan,...

WHIPPANY, N.J. – Hailed as “Ukraine’s dedicated advocate in the Senate” and a “champion for freedom and democracy,” Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) was honored here on Saturday, May 2, at what was billed as a rally in support of Ukraine. The New Jersey democrat, sponsor of the Ukrainian Freedom Support Act of 2014, received a...

PARSIPPANY, N.J. – The New Jersey District Committee of the Ukrainian National Association held its annual meeting here at the UNA Home Office on Friday, March 27. Representatives of UNA Branches 37, 42, 76, 133, 134, 155, 171, 269 and 287 were in attendance. The meeting was opened by District Chairman Yuriy Symczyk, who welcomed all to the meeting. Michael Koziupa, UNA first vice-president, was tapped as chair of the meeting, and Stephan Welhasch as secretary. The UNA Executive Committee was represented by National Secretary Christine E. Kozak and Treasurer Roma Lisovich. Ms. Lisovich, who was the first to speak,…

MORRISTOWN, N.J. – Ukrainian Americans from northern New Jersey and points beyond gathered here on January 30 to protest the performance of Russian conductor Valery Gergiev at the Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC). Some 150 people, according to police estimates, braved the bitter cold to voice their protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which...