Leonard Nimoy's Yiddish Heritage Shines in New Documentary on ChaiFlicks

Spock’s famous hand sign, invented by Leonard Nimoy, was based on a Jewish hand signal. Image Paramount.

Leonard Nimoy, forever etched in popular culture as Spock from Star Trek, had a deeply rooted connection to Yiddish heritage. According to reporting by St. Louis Jewish Light, this aspect of his life is now celebrated in a new documentary streaming on ChaiFlicks. The documentary is part of a collaboration between ChaiFlicks and the Yiddish Book Center, highlighting Nimoy's profound ties to Yiddish culture.

The Yiddish Book Center's Wexler Oral History Project, which began in 2010, features over 1,300 video interviews capturing the essence of Yiddish speakers and klezmer musicians, as well as the descendants of Yiddish authors. Among these is a significant interview with Leonard Nimoy from 2013, conducted by Christa Whitney. This interview, partially in Yiddish with English subtitles, offers a personal glimpse into Nimoy's heritage and his lifelong connection to Yiddish culture.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Yiddish Book Center and continue their mission of disseminating and sharing the beauty of the rich Yiddish language and culture to as wide an audience as possible," said Neil Friedman, co-founder of ChaiFlicks. "We know that our subscribers globally will enjoy and thoroughly appreciate the wide variety of Yiddish content that features the likes of Leonard Nimoy, Peter Sokolow, and many others."

The Yiddish Book Center, established in 1980, has been a cornerstone of Yiddish literature and culture. Its Wexler Oral History Project provides an intricate chronicle of Jewish identity and the evolving nature of Yiddish culture, featuring a rich collection of personal histories and cultural insights.

Christa P. Whitney of the Yiddish Book Center remarked, "Through this partnership, we can amplify the stories that we are capturing by sharing them with ChaiFlicks’ extensive audience."

In addition to the Nimoy documentary, ChaiFlicks will feature What’s the Matter with the Klezmer? The Peter Sokolow Story, a short film exploring the life of the renowned klezmer musician. Also included is a featurette on Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman, a celebrated Yiddish poet, songwriter, and painter, and the award-winning feature Ver Vet Blaybn? (Who Will Remain?), which highlights the enduring impact of Yiddish culture through compelling storytelling.

Adding to the lineup, ChaiFlicks is set to launch a six-episode series titled Kafka, based on the life of the famed Bohemian writer Franz Kafka. This series, timed with the 100th anniversary of Kafka's death, delves into his troubled personal life and its influence on his groundbreaking literary work that blends realism with the fantastical.