Lebedik Yankee is a new project from one of the worlds foremost  Yiddish singers,  Sasha Lurje (Latvia) and klezmer/bluegrass violinist Craig Judelman (USA), which explores the journey of Yiddish songs from Eastern Europe to America. Based in Berlin, the musicians bring their own special relationship to the songs, drawing equally from the traditions of the old world and the new. Together they have been captivating European and American audiences with this new program and they are thrilled to be joined by legend of the klezmer low end, Mark Rubin(New Orleans) as well as Pacific Northwest roots music favorite, Matt Sircely. 

Eastern European Jewish immigrants flocked to the new world in the late 19th century, bringing their songs and stories with them. The songs born from this new Yiddish American culture - and They tell of the emancipation of women, the growth of the labor movement, the dangers of war and of course, love. In this special program of rarely heard songs collected from old recordings and transcriptions, the artists continue where the old recordings left off, letting their various influences and intuitions take over. The result is a repertoire that is simultaneously deeply traditional yet brand new and accessible to all audiences. The natural amalgamation of Eastern European and American instruments and idioms gives the songs a powerful sense of timelessness and universality. At a time when politicians exploit and fuel our sense of difference, this message could not be more relevant the older ones that survived the journey - offer unique insights into their personal and generational experiences.