Musicians Amy Olson and Christina Crowder, performers and scholars of klezmer music (Jewish folk music of Eastern Europe), are our featured guests for the 2nd Annual Ilene M. Levin Scholars-In-Residence program, May 29-June 1, at Temple Israel.
Amy was the vocalist with the Twin Cities based klezmer band “The Prairie Heym Klezmorim” from 1989-2005. She has been a featured guest artist with the International Association of Yiddish Clubs and made her NYC Cabaret debut at the Cornelia Street Café in Greenwich Village in 2013. Dubbed “The Diva of the Yeshiva,” Amy is executive director of University of Rhode Island Hillel and former executive director of University of Minnesota Hillel.
Christina is based in New Haven where she is active as a teacher and performer. She plays in the Alexander Fiterstein Trio, the Wholesale Klezmer Band, and her own Chamber Klezmer Trio Bivolița as well as with the renowned klezmorim Margot Leverett, Alicia Svigals and Walter Zev Feldman. She has led klezmer accordion and ensemble performance workshops in Paris, Albuquerque, and Asheville.
Their residency includes the following workshops for interested local musicians and public performances, all of which are free and open to the public:
Thursday, May 29
• 7-8:30 p.m. KIezmer music workshops for instrumentalists (intermediate level and up) led by Christina Crowder, and for singers of all levels led by Amy Olson.
Friday, May 30
• 5:30 p.m. Shabbat evening service featuring Amy Olson and Christina Crowder. Amy also will speak on the topic of Jewish life on the university campus.
• 6:30 p.m. Free community Shabbat dinner sponsored by Steve Goldfine. Dessert is sponsored by Judy Gordon in memory of Gary Gordon. Amy will lead and teach traditional Jewish after-dinner songs and blessings.
Saturday, May 31
• 10 a.m. Shabbat morning service featuring Amy Olson and Christina Crowder. A free Kiddush lunch follows the service at which Amy will lead and teach traditional Jewish songs and blessings to follow the meal.
• 7:30 p.m. Free Concert of Yiddish/Broadway/Israeli music by Amy Olson (vocalist) and Christina Crowder (accordion).
Sunday, June 1
• 10:30 a.m. Brunch sponsored by Steve Goldfine featuring lecture/demonstration by Christina Crowder on “Klezmer in America 2014: Revitalizing the ’Revival’ for the 21st Century.”
For more information, please contact the Temple Israel office at 218-724-8857 or admin@jewishduluth.org.