On Sunday, October 11, KleinLife JCC in Northeast Philadelphia will host the charity concert “Music for Good: Kommuna Lux Live from Odesa.” All funds raised will go toward helping Ukrainian children who have lost parents because of the war and supporting their families.
This was reported by the event organizers.
The beneficiary of the event will be Common Man for Ukraine, a volunteer humanitarian initiative that supports Ukrainian children who have lost parents because of the war, as well as their widowed mothers. The concert will be opened by Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Philadelphia Iryna Mazur, and a complimentary reception will be held for guests after the performance.
The program will feature Kommuna Lux, a band that performs the joyful, energetic music characteristic of the Ukrainian Black Sea port city of Odesa, blending Ukrainian folk, klezmer, and Balkan traditions.
“This genre, often referred to as ‘Odesa music,’ was banned as subversive during the final years of the Soviet Union. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the band has become a powerful cultural ambassador for Ukraine, gaining international recognition while also raising support for Ukraine through music. Klezmer is a vibrant tradition of instrumental folk music historically performed by Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, including and especially in Ukraine. This joyful, though often reflective or even melancholic music, was an inseparable part of celebrations, particularly weddings,” the organizers noted.
All proceeds raised during the concert will be donated to Common Man for Ukraine, a volunteer humanitarian initiative of the Plymouth, NH Rotary Foundation. The organization provides Ukrainian families with food, generators, critically needed humanitarian aid, and psychological support. It places particular emphasis on children who have lost one or both parents because of the war.
According to the organizers, since 2022 Common Man for Ukraine has delivered more than 4.5 million pounds of food to frontline communities in Ukraine and has organized psychological rehabilitation programs that have already involved more than 1,600 Ukrainian children. In addition to humanitarian assistance, volunteers bring children Beanie Babies, small solar-powered lanterns, and other items intended to provide emotional comfort after the losses they have endured.
“It is difficult even to imagine the depth of pain that Ukrainian children of war will have to live with for the rest of their lives. But with your help, we can ease their suffering, even if only a little. Food helps children survive. Love, safety, psychological support, and hope will help them truly return to life,” the organizers emphasized.
The event will be held with the support of the Honorary Consulate of Ukraine, Self Reliance Financial, Ukrainian American Sport Center (Tryzub), The Center for US Ukrainian Relations, Rotary Clubs of Greater Philadelphia, American Jewish Committee of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, as well as a number of Ukrainian, American, and Jewish community organizations.
The organizers hope to fill more than 400 seats in the concert hall and emphasize that admissionwill be free for Ukrainian refugees and recent immigrants.
Photo: Common Man for Ukraine
Author: Inna Mikhno