Some stories stay with you long after the conversation ends. Episode 6 of Chocolate and Coffee Break, hosted by Andrea Putting, is one of those stories. In this deeply moving episode, Andrea welcomes Jeff Klein, a speaker and coach who helps people find and use their voices to make a difference. But in this conversation, Jeff isn’t here …
Some stories stay with you long after the conversation ends.
Episode 6 of Chocolate and Coffee Break, hosted by Andrea Putting, is one of those stories.
In this deeply moving episode, Andrea welcomes Jeff Klein, a speaker and coach who helps people find and use their voices to make a difference. But in this conversation, Jeff isn’t here to talk about coaching or speaking techniques. He’s here to honor the legacy of his father — Bernie Klein — and to remind us that one person truly can change the world.
A Life Shaped by Freedom and Service
Jeff’s father, Bernie Klein, was born in 1930 during the Great Depression in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. His early life was marked by loss and hardship — his mother passed away shortly after his birth, and Bernie spent much of his childhood growing up in orphanages and Jewish boarding schools.
Yet instead of being defined by what he lost, Bernie was shaped by what he believed in: freedom, responsibility, and community.
As an adult, Bernie became a Jewish social worker and community leader, dedicating his life to youth organizations, Jewish Community Centers, and leadership development. He worked with thousands of young people across the United States, helping them understand who they were, where they came from, and why community matters.
But one chapter of his life would leave a ripple far beyond anything he could have imagined.
Who Were the Refuseniks?
During the Cold War, Jews living in the Soviet Union faced severe persecution. They were denied religious freedom, labeled differently on official documents, and often blocked from education and employment. Those who applied to leave the Soviet Union were known as Refuseniks — people who were refused permission to emigrate and punished simply for asking for freedom.
Through intense international pressure, treaties, and humanitarian efforts, some Soviet Jews were eventually allowed to leave — but they needed sponsorship, support, and communities willing to help them start over.
Bernie Klein saw this crisis and felt called to act.
“We’re Bringing 30”
When Bernie moved to Shreveport, Louisiana, he had an idea that surprised everyone — including the national resettlement organization he approached.
They assumed he was talking about sponsoring a family of four or five.
Instead, Bernie looked them in the eye and said:
“We’re bringing 30.”
And that’s exactly what happened.
With the support of the Jewish community in Shreveport, Bernie helped sponsor and resettle 30 Soviet Jewish Refuseniks — individuals and families who arrived in the United States with little more than hope.
They learned English.
They found jobs.
They built families.
They built futures.
Many of them — and their children and grandchildren — are still living full lives in America today.
“You Are Our Moses”
One moment from Jeff’s childhood still brings emotion to his voice.
During a Passover Seder — a holiday centered on the story of liberation from slavery — one of the resettled men looked at Bernie and said:
“Bernie… you are our Moses.”
It wasn’t a grand speech.
It wasn’t a public ceremony.
It was a quiet moment of gratitude — one human recognizing another who helped lead them to freedom.
That moment captured Bernie’s legacy more than any title ever could.
From Story to Today: The Cost of Misunderstanding
The conversation doesn’t stop in the past.
Andrea and Jeff also explore something painfully relevant today: the rise of antisemitism, the spread of misinformation, and how fear grows when curiosity disappears.
Jeff explains that hate often begins with misunderstanding — when people don’t take the time to learn about cultures, beliefs, or histories different from their own. Instead of asking questions, people fill the gaps with assumptions and lies.
One of the most powerful reminders from this episode is simple but urgent:
Hate is not political. Hate is hate.
And the antidote isn’t shouting — it’s listening.
Why This Conversation Matters
Episode 6 is not about politics.
It’s not about taking sides.
It’s about humanity.
It’s about what happens when someone chooses compassion over comfort.
When a community decides to open its doors.
When stories are shared instead of stereotypes.
It’s a reminder that children should never have to grow up afraid because of who they are — and that understanding begins with conversation.
One Person Can Change the World
Bernie Klein didn’t think he was changing history.
He simply saw people in need — and acted.
And that action rippled outward:
- Into families
- Into generations
- Into lives still being lived today
That is the quiet power of kindness.
That is the heart of Chocolate and Coffee Break.
Join the Conversation
Watch Episode 6:
Visit: www.ChocolateAndCoffeeBreak.
Grab your chocolate.
Pour your coffee.
Invite someone different from you to sit at the table.
And remember:
Let love be the loudest voice.
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