YAM Ensemble is a trilateral youth exchange project that unites young people from Greece, Turkey, and Germany to explore the similarities and differences between Eastern European Jewish (Yiddish) music and Turkish and Greek (Ottoman) music. Participants will engage in multidimensional experiences through peer-to-peer learning, culminating in a concert program guided by experienced group leaders. The foundation of this project lies in decades of research into Eastern European Jewish music by the Other Music Academy (OMA) and Yiddish Summer Weimar, which has been active for 25 years. The aim is to illuminate the intercultural connections between Yiddish and other European cultures, revealing a shared European heritage often obscured by borders, nationalism, and the resulting conflicts, including wars, enmities, and genocides. This project takes a significant step further by incorporating the cultural heritage of the Ottoman Empire—still viewed as ‘national’ in many European countries, including Greece and Turkey—into the European cultural matrix, seeking the common roots of Yiddish and Southeast European Ottoman music and culture. Yiddish Summer Weimar has been actively pursuing this exploration for the past three years, revealing that Yiddish music serves as a bridge between Ottoman and Central European musical traditions. It incorporates influences from both Western European music and dance forms and, to a similar extent, Ottoman music and its local variants throughout Southeast Europe. Thus, it becomes evident that neither Yiddish nor Ottoman music can be solely understood through the lens of nation-states, underscoring their relevance to Europe and the cultural ties between Europe and Asia Minor. Together with young musicians from Germany, Turkey, and Greece, we aim to bring to light a cultural root system that connects Europe and Asia Minor. Approximately 35 young musicians with diverse backgrounds in Central European and Yiddish, as well as Southeast European and Ottoman music, will come together for three weeks in Turkey, Greece, and Germany. They will, under the guidance of renowned musicians, study a captivating repertoire of instrumental melodies, songs, and dances, all linked by ancient roots. This music is remarkable because it has been cherished by various communities, each developing its unique musical identity while not being able to deny their shared origins. We seek to pass this musical treasure on to young people who have grown up in a borderless Europe, enabling them to create contemporary music that resonates with their peers and transcends national boundaries, including the Bosphorus. This aligns with our commitment to Yiddish music, which, despite its historical stigmatization, plays a vital role in the cultural continuum between Europe and Asia Minor. We aim to provide participants with direct experiences of the common cultural and musical roots shared by what are often perceived as distinct religious and linguistic groups. Additionally, we seek to enhance their understanding of European Jewish (Ashkenazi) culture and music while highlighting the equally fascinating connections to Sephardic culture. The YAM Ensemble will make Europe’s diversity visible and audible, both across and within national borders, while combating anti-Semitism through direct encounters with young people and their cultures. For the participants, this project promises significant personal growth, new professional networks, musical discoveries, and inspiration for their future endeavors modeled after the YAM Ensemble. Furthermore, this project demonstrates that musical and cultural processes can only emerge through non-formal education, which prioritizes content over form (e.g., the experience of played music over notated music), facilitating immediate, impactful learning exchanges among individuals. The outcome will be not only exceptional music, enriching encounters, and profound insights but also a substantial intercultural, international, and transnational gain in experience for all young participants.