What are the Jewish influences/connection in TOS?
I can think of plenty. Let me know what you think.
I can think of plenty. Let me know what you think.
Star Trek TOS Jewish Connection
- Thread starter Sulu_Love_child
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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.
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.
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.
Who, exactly, would try to eat a tribble? 
My cats would definitely try to eat one if they ever met one. So I guess that means my cats aren't Jewish? 
Tribbles could never be kosher...
Here is an interesting site on TOS's Jewish Connection:
http://www.sytekcommunications.com/rooster/trekjews.html
Here is an interesting site on TOS's Jewish Connection:
http://www.sytekcommunications.com/rooster/trekjews.html
"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
Click here to see the footage in Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dgj_Hx8PJo
That is, perhaps, the best sequence in that whole movie!
Heh. I love how the ship is marked "kosher."
I love the small reform tallis' on the Hasidim dancing around the ship...
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