According to Goldenburg, he was born in 1862 in Faltishan (Falticeni), Romania. His father was killed at a young age, and he was raised by a stepfather, an owner of a 'lumber camp'.

Apparently he had very early immigrated to America and here joined the Yiddish theatre as a prompter.

B. Gorin writes:

"At the very end of the nineties he opened a "shmalts-grab" (lard-pit)" for the theatres in Galicia and Rumania. From America Tsvibel returned to Lemberg as a prompter, and he brought the entire repertoire of the Yiddish theatre in America."

According to his wife, Frida Zibel,  he came to Lemberg in 1894, got married, traveled back to America, where he was engaged by the Windsor Theatre. Three years later, they again traveled to Europe, where he died. According to Sholem Perlmutter, T. died in 1907 in Vienna, Austria.

T.'s daughter is the actress Ela Zibel.

M. E. from his wife Frida and daughter Ela Zibel, Sholem Perlmutter and Itzik Goldenberg.

B. Gorin - "Geshicht Idish teater", Vol. II, New York, 1925, pp. 149-150.