By Rhonda Hoffman
Northeast Times
The stage of KleinLife’s 400-seat theater will come alive with the sound of music on Sunday, Oct. 11, 3 p.m., with a Klezmer Concert benefitting Ukraine’s children of war. (The theater is housed in the Raymond and Miriam Klein Building located at 10100 Jamison Ave., off Red Lion Road.)
Kommuna Lux (Community of Light), an internationally acclaimed musical ensemble from Odessa, Ukraine, will be performing klezmer music and “hometown gangster folk songs with a dose of rocket fuel.” The band has become a powerful cultural ambassador, earning recognition while raising awareness and support of a worthy cause, according to a flyer advertising the event.
For those unfamiliar with klezmer, it is joyful and high-energy music of Ukraine’s Black Sea Port of Odessa. The genre, historically played in Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, was once banned as subversive in the later years of the Soviet Union. Sometimes wistful and a little melancholy, klezmer music has gained universal appeal, and was featured prominently in “Fiddler on the Roof.”
The Klezmer concert flyer cites the chief sponsor of the event as Common Man for Ukraine (CMFU), a grassroots charitable nonprofit organization that formed soon after the war initiated by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022. Having raised more than $5 million since its inception, all proceeds go toward providing food, critical aid and trauma counseling for orphaned children and their widowed mothers.
All of CMFU’s work is interfaith and nonpartisan, according to volunteer Marvin Weinberger, a local entrepreneur and inventor who strongly believes in the cause and credibility of Common Man for Ukraine.
According to its website, Russia’s invasion has created one of the greatest humanitarian crises for children in Europe since World War II. Tens of thousands of children have lost one or both parents in the war. The economic hardship and disrupted education are leaving lasting emotional scars.
“We just completed our 16th mission to Ukraine and are planning another in December. Our purpose is to help children and parents whose lives have been devastated by war. The aim of our humanitarian convoys is to make an immediate and impactful mark on people’s lives and to alleviate suffering.
“Something as simple and basic as distributing solar lanterns to children who have been literally left in the dark by Russian airstrikes can be significant,” said Susan Mathison, a CMFU co-founder, who operates the organization from her home in Plymouth, New Hampshire. The former Ardmore resident says, “There is no overhead and every dollar we raise goes to benefit the cause.
“In addition to money, people donate toys for the children such as Beanie Babies and hand-knitted hats and comforters. I receive these packages right at my door and make sure that those in need get these items,” she said.
“Common people are helping other people. We are a hand-to-hand model of giving. Our convoy of trucks don’t simply drop off supplies. We meet the Ukrainian people face-to-face, look them in the eye, give them hugs,“ noted Mathison.
“Five years ago, before the Russian invasion, I wouldn’t have been able to find Ukraine on the map,” said Mathison, who describes her current volunteer venture as her “retirement gig.”
Andre Krug, a Ukrainian émigré himself and president/CEO of KleinLife, notes, “Ukraine is much more than just my heritage – it is a place where I grew up and where my earliest memories were formed. Unfortunately, most of the neighborhood where I grew up (in Kharkiv) was heavily damaged during the first days of war.
“This is a natural partnership for us — the concert celebrates Ukrainian and Jewish culture while helping children and families affected by the war.
“Since the beginning of the war, KleinLife has helped approximately 2,000 Ukrainians rebuild their lives in Philadelphia. Our assistance has included English classes for more than 200 adults, employment support, meals, clothing, transportation, mental health services and help navigating an unfamiliar country and its institutions.
“We now serve Ukrainian children through summer camp, afterschool programming, educational activities, art therapy and other services. More than 100 Ukrainian children participated in our summer camp this year alone,” he noted.
According to Krug, the impact goes far beyond keeping children occupied.
“Many arrived after experiencing war, displacement and the loss of everything familiar. At KleinLife, they make friends, learn English, feel safe and experience something resembling a normal childhood again. Children who arrived here at 3 or 4 years old are now 8 or 9, and English has become their primary language. They are not simply visiting anymore – they are growing up here,” Krug remarked.
In addition to KleinLife and Common Man for Ukraine, sponsors of the event include the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine in Philadelphia and Rotary Clubs of Philadelphia and several local churches, synagogues and civic organizations. ••
To purchase concert tickets ahead of time ($36 per person), go to https.//givebutter.com/Philly10-11-26. Tickets are $50 per person at the door. For more information about CMFU, go to commonmanforukraine.org. All donations are tax deductible. Refugees are welcome as guests at the KleinLife venue. Light refreshments will be served after the performance.
