Event

Songs of the Jewish Ukrainian Heartland

As war rages on in one of the main homelands of Yiddish culture, we join together to sing the songs and tell the stories of our shared homeland. Songs of forbidden loves, boy soldiers, the wonders of nature and looming dangers, these songs of the last centuries have sadly never been less relevant. Ukraine was also the source of our most important collections of old time klezmer tunes. In this program three of the worlds most in-demand Klezmer musicians bring together this diverse repertoire to paint a picture of Jewish life in Ukraine and stand in solidarity with our friends fighting for their freedom.

Michael Alpert is one of the most well known living Yiddish culture bearers, having been involved in the revitalization of Yiddish music and dance on both coasts of the US and abroad since its inception in the late 70s. Known for his work with bands such as Kapelye, Brave Old World, Itzhak Perlman and more, the 2015 recipient of the Nation Heritage Award is joined by two of the driving forces in the thriving Berlin klezmer scene - celebrated Latvian singer Sasha Lurje and violinist, composer and arranger Craig Judelman.

After teaching and performing together at klezmer festivals and workshops around the world, from Israel to Sao Paulo, Krakow, Montreal, New York and everywhere in between, these artists launched this new trio in 2020. Sadly after playing only 2 concerts, Covid got in the way. Now they join together in the midst of another tragedy, embarking on a rare west coast tour to raise money and stand in solidarity with their friends and loved ones under the clouds of war.