Band - LEBEDIK

Jewish history has always involved migration, it has never had a culture that only existed in one place. People have moved around and lived in different lands, always dreaming of another part of the world.

Living in diaspora (goles), Jews dreamt of the promised land in Israel and the golden land of the American Dream. They carried this weight- schlepping goles, through their travels and the longing and displacement of their lives are retold in the songs.
Based in Berlin this new project by an international trio rekindles the songs and stories of our migrations, looking to our art and heritage for a context to the challenges so many immigrants and refugees face in our world today.

The musicians in the band come from three homes for Yiddish music: Sasha Lurje is a singer from Latvia, Craig Judelman is a fiddler from the USA and Ira Shiran is an accordionist from Israel.

Together they explore the transformations of Yiddish music, from the Shtetls of the Old World through its journey to the city, and the new lands of America and Israel. Retracing the steps of our ancestors through the songs that sustained them, this program makes sure that this tradition remains lebedik - alive and lively!

Sasha Lurje - Vocals
Craig Judelman - Geige
Ira Shiran - Akkordeon