With ‘We Were Made For These Times,’ the Klezmatics mark their 40th anniversary with an album that speaks directly to the present moment. The Grammy-winning ensemble has, for four decades, redefined Yiddish and Klezmer music as a living, radical force - blending tradition with punk intensity, jazz improvisation, gospel fire and global rhythmic ideas. This new release sees Klezmer not as a relic, but as a vital form of expression capable of generating resilience, connection and hope. Amid today’s debates surrounding migration, labor and belonging, the Klezmatics highlight the historical role of Jewish music as a voice for human dignity and communal strength. The album spans protest songs, spiritual reflections and exuberant celebrations of culture and survival. Works by Woody Guthrie, Holly Near, Dovid Edelstadt and Chaim Zhitlovsky stand alongside fresh interpretations and collaborations with an extraordinary lineup of guests including Sof¡a Rei, Janis Siegel, Joshua Nelson, La Manga, William Parker, James Brandon Lewis and Enver Izmaylov. At the heart of the album is its title track, inspired by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Est‚s’enduring reminder: We were made for these times. The collection reaffirms the Klezmatics’ long-held belief that joy, resistance and community are inseparable - and that music remains one of the strongest tools we have to endure, imagine and shape the future.

1. Un Du Akerst
2. Plane Wreck At Los Gatos (Deportee)
3. We Were Made For These Times
4. Crimean Freylekhs
5. Ikh Ken Nit Zogn Vitsn
6. Forty Year Freylekhs
7. Kegn Gold Fun Zun / Tatar Dance
8. Payklers Tants (Drummer's Dance)
9. Lashinke Vaysinke
10. Elegy For The Innocents
11. I Am Willing
12. Di Tsukunft (El Futuro)