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.

Pesach Fiszman Pushing Her to Speak Yiddish at Yiddish Summer Weimar

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Sasha Lurje, singer of Yiddish music born in Riga, Latvia, describes Pesach Fiszman forcing her to learn Yiddish by refusing to answer her in English and pointing out when she accidentally used German instead of Yiddish.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Sasha Lurje.

This excerpt is in English and Yiddish.

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This interview is part of the Yiddish and the Arts: musicians, actors, and artists series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

Advice to Aspiring Yiddish Musicians: Show Respect for the Culture by Learning the Language

2 min 53 sec

"A Restless Language": How The Personality of the Language of Yiddish Influences Music

3 min 6 sec

Learning Yiddish with Hanan Bordin

3 min 20 sec

The History of Forshpil

8 min 37 sec

A Non-Linear Path to Learning Yiddish

5 min 11 sec

"I've Been Doing Music All My Life": Pursuing Music Since Childhood

2 min 19 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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