But that's not "Star Trek's"
only Jewish subtlety. If Spock's
famous Vulcan hand sign looks
familiar, it's because it resem-
bles the Hebrew letter shin. Ear-
ly in the series, Nimoy had to
create a salutation for the peace-
loving Vulcans, and he decided
to draw from his own resources.
"The 'V' sign (an extended
palm, fingers split between the
thumb and the index finger and
again between the middle and
ring fingers) came directly from
my synagogue experience as a
kid, watching the Kohan spread
his arms and stretch his fingers
to form a 'V' while he blessed the
congregation," he recalls.
"I must have been 7 or 8 years
old the first time I saw it hap-
pen, and it was magical for me.
The sign is a representation of

In TNT's "Never Forget," Nimoy
portrayed a Holocaust survivor who
takes Holocaust deniers to court. In the
photo, he is comforted by his wife,
played by Blythe Danner.

tween Judaism and the sci-fi se-
ries, "Star Trek" is in no way
Jewish. "Gene Roddenberry, the
creator and original visionary of
"Star Trek," was not Jewish, and
I am sure that he was not intro-
ducing any Jewish element,"
says Nimoy. "But I think you
can reach into 'Star Trek' and
find values that can be found in
Judaism, as well as in other cul-
tures and religions."
Still, Judaism was very much
a part of Nimoy's life growing
up, and it was natural for him
to add a Jewish dimension to his
character. A native of Boston,
Nimoy was raised in a kosher
home by his parents and grand-
parents in the West End area of
the city.
"We had three sets of dishes
— one for meat, one for dairy

tended Jewish family. Being
Jewish is a gift, not a burden. I
treasure that identity. It has
been a source of the most im-
portant values of all — family,
charity, wisdom, compassion, so-
cial justice, culture — those val-
ues that form the foundation of
a civilized society."
Although his parents pre-
ferred he attend college and
pursue a more traditional pro-
fession, Nimoy had a passion for
acting and the theater. He want-
ed to pursue a career in the dra-
matic arts. So, shortly after
graduating from high school, he
left for Hollywood.
"My parents were very, very
upset," Nimoy says. "[Acting]
was not their idea of what
young man should be pursuing
in the way of a career. They

and one for Passover," remem-
bers Nimoy, whose father was a
barber. "But I wouldn't say we
were religious Jews. Although
we belonged to a synagogue, cel-
the word Shaddai, and the shin ebrated holidays and I had a bar
is the first letter in the word mitzvah, I would describe us as
Shaddai, which is the name for cultural Jews."
Nimoy says his parents and
the Almighty. Back then, I was
in awe of the ritual, and I relatives, who fled from Eastern
learned how to do it, even Europe, instilled solid Jewish
though I was not a Kohan. values. "Judaism was very much
When the time came for some alive in our home," Nimoy stat-
sort of Vulcan greeting, I intro- ed in a recent advertisement for
the American Jewish Commit-
duced the 'V.'"
But, Nimoy stresses, although tee titled "What Being Jewish
there are some connections be- Means To Me."
"So, too, Yiddish," he contin-
ues. "All of this gave me a very
Alice Burdick Schweiger is an Ann strong sense of pride, of spiritu-
Arbor-based freelance writer.
ality, of connection to an ex-

thought it was very unstable
and a waste of time. The odds
were too difficult, and they
thought it would be a lifelong
struggle for me."
However, it didn't take long
for the young Nimoy to make his
mark in the world of motion pic-
tures. After taking acting class-
es and performing in the
productions of East Coast, Yid-
dish-speaking companies, he
landed several movie roles.
Then came a two-year stint in
the army, after which he re-
turned to Hollywood and became
a busy working actor, appearing
in feature films and numerous
highly rated TV shows, includ-

SPOCK page 92

Keep On Trekkin'

MARA REINSTEIN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Harvey Hurwitz and
Mark Pownall,
flashing Spock's
Vulcan sign, clown
around with their
"Star Trek" props.

I

is been more than 30
years since "Star Trek'

boldly went where no
television series had
gone before — and it's still
as popular as ever.
The latest case in point:
"Star Trek" club night,
happening every Thurs-
day this January at the
Magic Bag Theatre Cafe
in Ferndale. With weekly
themes like "The Borg
Battle Bonanza" and "'Q'
Continuum Appreciation
Night," loyal trekkers
have been watching re-
runs from the original se-
ries and its sequels on a
50-foot screen and talking
Trek news. The Trek
nights also welcome "Star
Trek" fan club meetings
and local collectors who
wish to buy and sell mer-
chandise. Devotees are in-
vited to come decked out
in their favorite Starfleet
costume.
Jeremy Haberman,
owner of the Magic Bag,
emphasizes that one
doesn't have to be a die-
hard trekker to celebrate
and revel.
"A lot of regular people
who don't like 'Star Trek'
or aren't big fans just
show up and have a good time,"
he says. "It really attests to the
popularity of the show."
Next week's theme, on Thurs-
day, Jan. 30, is "Off-Color 'Trek'
Bloopers," featuring episodes
that border on the risque,
raunchy and wacky — which
would probably still garner no
higher than a PG rating.
One episode focuses on the
usually unemotional Mr. Spock
developing an amorous interest
in an alien woman. The culprit:
The plant life on the alien plan-
et causes general intoxication,
prompting the crew of the En-
terprise to neglect their duties
and behave like flower children.
Captain Kirk, of course, is his
usual amorous self. ❑

Star Trek Fast Facts:

* "Star Trek" is seen in more
than 100 countries and has been
translated into dozens of lan-
guages.
* Every month, a classic Star
Trek or Star Trek: The Next Gen-
eration novel is published by
Pocket Books.
* "Trekkies," now called
"Trekkers," are the only fans list-
ed by name in the Oxford Eng-
lish Dictionary.
* "Star Trek" conventions are
held every weekend of every
year in at least four different
U.S. cities, annually attracting
more than 300,000 U.S. fans and
an estimated 1 million fans
worldwide.
* The first U.S. space shuttle,
the Enterprise, was given its
name after NASA received
400,000 requests from "Star
Trek" fans.
* A 1993 study from Purdue
University found that children
learn more about science from
"Star Trek" than from any oth-
er source.
Source: the "Star Trek"
Continuum Web site at
/dip: I /startrek.msn.com

Star Trek News:

* A "Star Trek" restaurant
will open in Chicago later this
year.
* Star Trek: 30 Years, a spe-
cial collectors edition book from
TV Guide and Paramount Pic-
tures that explores all • the
trekker news over the course of
the last three decades is now in
bookstores nationwide. ❑

There is still time to get over
to a "Star Trek" club night. The
last in the series is Thursday,
Jam 30, at the Magic Bag The-
atre Cafe, 22918 Woodward,
Ferndale. Doors open at S p.m.
Big screen view begins at 9
p.m For more information, call
(810) 544-3030 or check out the
Magic Bag web site at
lattpi/www.themagicbag.com