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.

Monty Hall On Speaking Yiddish in Hollywood

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Monty Hall, z"l, media personality, philanthropist and original host of Let's Make a Deal, speaks about his surprise and joy at finding fluent Yiddish speakers in Hollywood, including the great Danny Kaye and non-Jewish stars like James Cagney and Burt Lancaster!

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Monty Hall.

This excerpt is in English.

Monty Hall was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada in 1921. Monty died in 2017.

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Other video highlights from this oral history

"She Was a Combination of Golda Meir and Molly Picon": Monty Hall's Memories of His Mother

5 min 6 sec

The Most Important Thing About Being Jewish? "Continuity! ...and Yiddish" Says Monty Hall

1 min 24 sec

A Job, A Place to Live, and a Place to Pray Within 24 Hours: Mutual Aid for Jewish Refugees in Winnipeg

4 min 15 sec

Four Generations, One Bathroom: Monty Hall's Winnipeg Roots

2 min 14 sec

Walking My Great-grandfather to Shul

2 min 13 sec

A Passover Story You Couldn't Make Up: Monty Hall Tells A Three-Part Story Spanning Three Countries

4 min 47 sec

He Ran His Butcher Shop Like a Floral Shop: Monty Hall Describes His Father

1 min 53 sec

A Perfect Stranger Put Me Through College: Monty Hall Tells the Story of Max Freed's Generosity

2 min 53 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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