His story could be a novel. . . and a page-turner, at that.
This past December, Josef Patar added a chapter he’s been trying to write for a while. . . he became a naturalized U.S. citizen. With several supporters, including a couple of friends from Ohef Sholom Temple, he went to the Walter Hoffman United States Courthouse in Downtown Norfolk, made his citizenship official, and left waving an American flag.
A lifeguard and swim instructor at the Simon Family JCC, among other work endeavors, Patar escaped from Hungary at just 2 years old in 1956 with three siblings and his pregnant mother. They left, he said, with nothing, not even any documents. His father stayed behind fighting for his country against Russia. “In the 1990s, my father got knighted by the Hungarian government for fighting the Russians,” recalls Patar.
Once his family made it to England, they were able to board the Empress of Great Britian ocean liner in Liverpool to head to Canada, which was accepting refugees. At the time, the U.S. was not. The ship docked in Halifax, and Canada was his home for three decades. His father was able to join the family after the war.
Patar’s first trip to Virginia was in January 1965 when he was ranked #2 in Canada in swimming at just 10 years old. His team flew to Arlington, Va. for the competition, which by the way, Patar won, setting a record in his age category. He continued to set records throughout his swimming career.
Patar’s swimming success and ultimately, coaching, brought him to the United States many times, with his official move taking place in 1986 when he began a retail career in San Francisco. That work had him transferred throughout the country, living in Miami, Detroit, Colorado Springs, San Jose, New York, and Los Angeles, among other places.
In 2024, Patar arrived in Virginia and has been a lifeguard and swim instructor at the JCC since that April. He says he “liked the Jewish community,” and decided to stay.
Mazel Tov Josef on your citizenship!