Born in New York’s East Village in 1986, The Klezmatics transformed klezmer into a living, contemporary art form — full of spirit, wit, and unstoppable groove. Their music blends ecstatic dance rhythms and poetic Yiddish lyrics with the edge of urban life, bridging spirituality and subversion with unmatched virtuosity. They have collaborated with Itzhak Perlman, Chava Alberstein, Arlo Guthrie, Sofía Rei, Janis Siegel, Enver Izmaylov, Joshua Nelson, playwright Tony Kushner, and poet Allen Ginsberg. Their work spans theatre, dance, film, and television — from A Dybbuk and Pilobolus Dance Theatre to PBS Great Performances and HBO’s Sex and the City. Audiences worldwide continue to encounter the band through their widely shared KEXP session and NPR Tiny Desk performance, both capturing their ecstatic live energy.

We Were Made for These Times is The Klezmatics’ boldest artistic statement in years — a sweeping musical response to a world in flux, rooted in Yiddish expression and driven by the band’s long-standing commitment to justice, resilience, and community. Exploring migration, exile, solidarity, and belonging through a modern klezmer lens, the album creates a soundscape grounded in tradition yet unmistakably of the present moment.