Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection

Sulu_Love_child · August 15 2007, 01:26 AM

What are the Jewish influences/connection in TOS?
I can think of plenty. Let me know what you think.

A beaker full of death · August 15 2007, 01:53 AM

Well, there's the Vulcan salute, of course, but that's just window dressing.
Nimoy drew a lot on the experience of being a Jew in the diaspora to craft Spock. The sense of exile from his home. Certainly the whole "outsider" thing. Spock was in Starfleet but not of Starfleet. This is similar to the experience of Jews living in predominantly goyisher areas. Very simply, we are different. We have different customs, beliefs, traditions that those we live amongst usually don't understand. And Judaism is not a proselytizing religion, so we have no impetus to explain ourselves. We tend to be insular. We also emphasize academic and intellectual pursuits over the physical. Additionally, our religion has a mystical side that very few outsiders (or insiders) are ever exposed to.
Nimoy clearly drew on all this when playing the character. That's why so much is unspoken - it's in the performance, and only later did SOME of it get written.

Sulu_Love_child · August 15 2007, 01:59 AM

Breaker you have some good observations. Here are some of the obvious connections: Shatner, Nimoy, Koenig and many of the writers are Jewish. The Vulcan hand salute is similar to the hand symbol used by the Kohanim to bless the people in Judaism. There are a lot of biblical references in the episodes and used for planet names. Some of the story themes.

Kryton · August 16 2007, 12:57 AM

Other famous Jewish TOS Vulcans: Mark Lenard (Sarek, (also Romulan Commander in BoP), and Celia Lovsky (T'Pau).

I don't know about Barry Atwater (Surak).

Plum · August 16 2007, 01:01 AM

What I wanna know is... are tribbles kosher?

Temis the Vorta · August 16 2007, 01:09 AM

Who, exactly, would try to eat a tribble?

Plum · August 16 2007, 01:12 AM

^^^
Gotta say... they look tasty.

Temis the Vorta · August 16 2007, 01:14 AM

My cats would definitely try to eat one if they ever met one. So I guess that means my cats aren't Jewish?

Masao · August 16 2007, 01:27 AM

Temis the Vorta said:
Who, exactly, would try to eat a tribble?

Don't knock it until you've tried it.

Plum · August 16 2007, 01:37 AM

... and a side of gagh. Nice.

Sulu_Love_child · August 16 2007, 01:40 AM

Tribbles could never be kosher...

Here is an interesting site on TOS's Jewish Connection:

http://www.sytekcommunications.com/r.../trekjews.html

Plum · August 16 2007, 01:45 AM

/trekjews.html... *chuckle*, there's a spinoff idea.

sbk1234 · August 16 2007, 05:22 AM

Didn't Mel Brooks do "Jews In Space?"

Mallory · August 16 2007, 06:22 AM

sbk1234 said:
Didn't Mel Brooks do "Jews In Space?"

No. He didn't.

Sulu_Love_child · August 16 2007, 06:40 AM

"Jews in space" was a spoof at the end of his other film "History of the World Part I" It was never more than a short teaser.
Click here to see the footage in Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dgj_Hx8PJo

August 15 2007, 01:26 AM	#1
Sulu_Love_child Lieutenant Commander	Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection What are the Jewish influences/connection in TOS? I can think of plenty. Let me know what you think.

August 15 2007, 01:53 AM	#2
A beaker full of death Vice Admiral	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection Well, there's the Vulcan salute, of course, but that's just window dressing. Nimoy drew a lot on the experience of being a Jew in the diaspora to craft Spock. The sense of exile from his home. Certainly the whole "outsider" thing. Spock was in Starfleet but not of Starfleet. This is similar to the experience of Jews living in predominantly goyisher areas. Very simply, we are different. We have different customs, beliefs, traditions that those we live amongst usually don't understand. And Judaism is not a proselytizing religion, so we have no impetus to explain ourselves. We tend to be insular. We also emphasize academic and intellectual pursuits over the physical. Additionally, our religion has a mystical side that very few outsiders (or insiders) are ever exposed to. Nimoy clearly drew on all this when playing the character. That's why so much is unspoken - it's in the performance, and only later did SOME of it get written. __________________ "shall not be infringed" is naturally open to infringements of all kinds, because shut up and think of the children. http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/...#ixzz2ImW0V3GV

August 15 2007, 01:59 AM	#3
Sulu_Love_child Lieutenant Commander	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection Breaker you have some good observations. Here are some of the obvious connections: Shatner, Nimoy, Koenig and many of the writers are Jewish. The Vulcan hand salute is similar to the hand symbol used by the Kohanim to bless the people in Judaism. There are a lot of biblical references in the episodes and used for planet names. Some of the story themes.

August 16 2007, 12:57 AM	#4
Kryton Admiral Location: In ur Starbug	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection Other famous Jewish TOS Vulcans: Mark Lenard (Sarek, (also Romulan Commander in BoP), and Celia Lovsky (T'Pau). I don't know about Barry Atwater (Surak).

August 16 2007, 01:01 AM	#5
Plum Rear Admiral Location: Out on the water...	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection What I wanna know is... are tribbles kosher? __________________ Samuel T. Cogley said: "Look, every single one of us is going to see Star Trek XI. So let's cut the crap."

STAR TREK

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ABOUT US

August 16 2007, 01:09 AM	#6
Temis the Vorta Fleet Admiral Location: Tatoinne	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection Who, exactly, would try to eat a tribble?

August 16 2007, 01:12 AM	#7
Plum Rear Admiral Location: Out on the water...	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection ^^^ Gotta say... they look tasty. __________________ Samuel T. Cogley said: "Look, every single one of us is going to see Star Trek XI. So let's cut the crap."

August 16 2007, 01:14 AM	#8
Temis the Vorta Fleet Admiral Location: Tatoinne	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection My cats would definitely try to eat one if they ever met one. So I guess that means my cats aren't Jewish?

August 16 2007, 01:37 AM	#10
Plum Rear Admiral Location: Out on the water...	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection ... and a side of gagh. Nice. __________________ Samuel T. Cogley said: "Look, every single one of us is going to see Star Trek XI. So let's cut the crap."

August 16 2007, 01:40 AM	#11
Sulu_Love_child Lieutenant Commander	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection Tribbles could never be kosher... Here is an interesting site on TOS's Jewish Connection: http://www.sytekcommunications.com/r.../trekjews.html

August 16 2007, 01:45 AM	#12
Plum Rear Admiral Location: Out on the water...	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection /trekjews.html... chuckle, there's a spinoff idea. __________________ Samuel T. Cogley said: "Look, every single one of us is going to see Star Trek XI. So let's cut the crap."

August 16 2007, 05:22 AM	#13
sbk1234 Rear Admiral Location: Los Angeles	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection Didn't Mel Brooks do "Jews In Space?" __________________ In all the history of the world, a riot has NEVER broken out at a Sci-Fi convention. "It's a fucking TV show!" - Gary Lockwood

August 16 2007, 06:40 AM	#15
Sulu_Love_child Lieutenant Commander	Re: Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection "Jews in space" was a spoof at the end of his other film "History of the World Part I" It was never more than a short teaser. Click here to see the footage in Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dgj_Hx8PJo