The Yiddish Book Center's

Wexler Oral History Project

A growing collection of in-depth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity.

Our Favorite Yiddish Phrases

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Albert Dinner and Leonard Strear are asked to explain their favorite Yiddish phrases. Leonard shares the phrase "azoy geyt es," which in English translates to "that's the way it goes." Albert explains that he uses "tsebrokhene tseyn," which translates to “talking through broken teeth.” The two conclude that these phrases are the most useful in day-to-day communication.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Leonard Strear and Albert Dinner.

This excerpt is in English.

Leonard Strear was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1924. Leonard died in 2021.

Albert Dinner was born in Greeley, Colorado.