Bombs and hunger marked
education leader’s childhood
By sandi carpello
Staff Writer
Joseph Homoki
On a sunny afternoon in April 1944, in the Hungarian city of Debrecen, 7-year-old Joseph Homoki was sitting inside a dilapidated basement with his family when he heard the whining of a drone in the sky.
The walls and floors began to tremble, glass from the windows shattered, and coal dust filled the room. Holding each other’s hands, the Homoki family prayed for their lives.
"Somehow we knew the bombs were being dropped on us, even though this was a first-time experience for everyone," said Homoki.
In his self-published memoirs, titled Flight to Freedom, Homoki recounts the events, hardships and dangers he faced during his early childhood years in World War II.
Living under deplorable conditions, Homoki talks about the aftermath of war, living in poverty, and the loss of all earthly possessions.
Born in 1937, Homoki, along with his father, who was employed as an air force pilot, his mother and two siblings, spent the first 14 years of his life as a war refugee. The family migrated across the Hungarian border to Austria and onward to Germany until finally concluding their "flight to freedom" when they settled in New Brunswick in July 1951.
A half-century later, up the long, gated driveway of his Victorian home in Monroe Township, where he has resided with his wife Claudia for the past 14 years, Homoki, a lifelong educator and current president of the township’s Board of Education, lives comfortably. Yet, Homoki will always remember that life was not always so good.
"What my family and I went through made all of us stronger. We were fortunate to survive. [Struggling] gives you more perspective, makes you more understanding, and makes you more tolerant," he said.
The Homoki family was Hungarian, not from Jewish descent, and were therefore spared from the Nazi concentration camps.
However, as European civilians during World War II, the Homokis were far from living in the lap of luxury. The fear of bombs dropping was constant, and there was a lack of clean water and food.
"I was always hungry, as were most of my friends … So a few of us decided to gather as many bird eggs as we could, snatching them from various nests. We cooked the eggs in boiling water. We cracked them open and they looked good … When you are hungry, all food seems to look good. We ate them … within a short period of time we all became very sick and [vomited]," Homoki writes in Flight to Freedom.
Due to the harsh circumstances, living in one-room farmhouses and several German refugee camps, Homoki had a late start in academic education.
He started the first grade at 8 years old in Hungary, and transferred to German schools one year later without knowing a word of German. Homoki was forced to start from scratch once again at St. Ladislaus School in New Brunswick at age 14, with no knowledge of the English language.
"I was very reluctant and self-conscious about speaking English. But within a few months, I was able to speak enough to be able to speak to the nuns and to my classmates," he writes in his book.
After being sponsored by a Hungarian family who had previously immigrated to the United States, the Homoki family was able to sail from Europe to America, where they immediately located in New Brunswick. On his immigration application, Homoki’s father declared himself a butcher by trade, even though he "knew nothing about cutting meat," Homoki said.
Within a year in America, the Homokis were able to move into a house in a Hungarian and Italian section on Jersey Avenue. Within five years, the Homokis were able to achieve American citizenship.
Life, however, was still a struggle. His father took a job as a forklift operator with Personal Products, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson in Milltown, while his mother worked endless hours at Unger’s Cigar Factory in downtown New Brunswick.
Homoki grappled with his schoolwork at St. Peter’s High School while working odd jobs delivering milk and groceries.
In spite of his struggle with schooling as a youngster, it is ironic that he has dedicated his life to the advancement of education, Homoki said.
"My parents pushed for college," said Homoki. It was the only ticket out of being poor and working menial jobs.
Hitting the books led Homoki to the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, where he received a scholarship. After earning a bachelor’s degree in education, he went on to receive a master’s degree in education from Seton Hall University, South Orange.
"You have to set your goals higher than you achieve," he said. "Don’t ever forget the past."
In spite of his hardships, Homoki said he keeps a positive outlook on life and has never given up hope. It is the secret of his success, he said.
With a strong belief in the advancement of education and in the futures of children, Homoki worked in the New Brunswick school system for 36 years in various positions such as history teacher, soccer coach, administrator, vice principal and principal of the Lincoln School. After retiring in 1997, Homoki continued his work with education and has served eight non-consecutive years on the Monroe Township Board of Education.
"I like to work with kids. I am interested in what goes on," he said.
In the three years spent writing Flight to Freedom, Homoki said his only intention was to put his memories on paper as a gift to his three grown children, Jim, Susan and Sandra, and his grandchildren, of which there are now six.
"The intent for the memoirs was not to make money. I wanted to write about something I haven’t read before."
Despite his original intention, Homoki has already sold 90 copies of his book. Those interested in purchasing a copy can send an e-mail to Homoki at [email protected].

