Jewish and Trekking

“I’ve elected to believe in a God which is so far beyond our conception and real understanding that it would be nonsense to do anything in its name other than perhaps to revere all life as being part of that unfathomable greatness.” - Gene Roddenberry

In a world that has developed such a cynical view of both religion and of humanity’s future, Star Trek, The Original Series is like a breath of fresh air. Supported by a writing team and actors raised on Jewish ideals, Star Trek encourages its audience to celebrate a human society built on diversity, morality, and exploration.

From the very beginning, one of the oldest science fiction shows in the world was influenced by one of the oldest peoples in the world. Writers Bob Justman and Herb Solow were Jewish, although it should be noted that the original writer and showrunner, Gene Roddenberry, was not. Captain Kirk and First Officer Spock, arguably the most recognizable characters of the franchise, were both played by openly Jewish actors. William Shatner (Captain James Kirk) was raised Orthodox and spoke publicly about the ways in which growing up after the Holocaust affected him as a child. He described how being Jewish made him feel targeted and isolated from those around him, but found a great bond with Leonard Nimoy (Spock). Like Shatner, Nimoy was also raised Orthodox. When reflecting on his character notes for Spock, he recounted that “a lot of what [he had] put into Spock came to [him] from [his] Jewish orientation.” Because of Nimoy’s influence, there are parts of Star Trek that are inarguably Jewish in nature. For instance, I was excited to learn that one of the most recognizable symbols of the franchise is derived directly from Jewish symbolism; Nimoy based the Vulcan salute on a hand symbol used during the kohane blessing on some holy days. The kohanim, who use this blessing, are genealogical descendants of the Jewish priests in the Jerusalem Temple. The Temple was destroyed in the year 70 CE, but this part of their service has lived on. It should be noted that Nimoy changed the symbol slightly; the Vulcan salute is presented with the palm facing forward, while the kohanim is done with both hands held horizontally and touching. Despite this minor modification, when the Vulcan salute first aired in the episode, “Amok Time,” it was instantly recognized by many as a Jewish symbol.

I’ve always been the sort of fan who loves to dig into lore, so doing research for this piece was the most fun I’ve had writing in a long time. I was already vaguely aware of the Jewish history of the Vulcan salute and of Nimoy’s heritage, but I never quite realized how deeply Judaism influences Trek lore. I inherited my love of Trek from my father; he grew up watching the original series and can quote ten minute scenes from heart. But even he didn’t know about Trek’s Jewish past. He was blown away by every article I sent him on the subject, saying,“Makes a lot of sense when you think about it.”

Although Jewish influences can be traced throughout the entire franchise, I made the decision to focus on The Original Series for this particular piece. Each series in the franchise has its defining features: The Next Generation is centered on the cool logic of Captain Picard, Deep Space Nine shows the darker side of Federation isolationist morality, and Enterprise is the mildly disappointing younger sibling. The newest series, Discovery, hasn’t had a chance to claim its place in Trek lore, but it seems to be leading the way to a more diverse Trek. Many modern fans like to good naturedly make fun of The Original Series, and I have to admit that it is difficult to take Shatner’s battle face seriously. But behind the 60s camp and bad effects, The Original Series has a pure message that I’ve always found alluring:

Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise. Her five year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to discover new life and new civilization, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

The Original Series has never been about conquering or colonizing space. (We’ll leave that sort of thing to everyone else.) Captain Kirk is not out to proselytize or commit violence; he and the rest of his crew are explorers. Their only mission is acquisition of knowledge and truth in the final frontier.

Here lies what I find the most beautifully Jewish aspect of Trek: the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake. This core value is perhaps best explained through Jewish mysticism. In Hebrew, the word for truth is emet, אֱמֶת, which is comprised of the first, middle, and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This spelling symbolizes that truth is all encompassing, and the centre of Jewish teaching. After all, what is Torah study but a search for the truth? For thousands of years, rabbis have devoted their lives to studying the Torah, picking apart every line to discover the truth about our relationship with God, with each other, and with ourselves. After all this time exploring within ourselves, is it such a reach to say that our next step is to explore the vastness of His creation?

The original writer, Roddenberry, was never known as an expert on spirituality, but once when pressed he said “that it would be nonsense to do anything in [God’s] name other than perhaps to revere all life as being part of that unfathomable greatness.” If that is so, if the best thing we can do for God is to learn everything we can about His creations, then is Star Trek’s quest for understanding the next frontier in our relationship with God?

Resources

The Times of Israel, “Kirk and Spock Bonded over real life anti-Semitism,” by Tori Staff.

Patheos, “The Jewish Origin of the Vulcan Salute,”. By Rabbi Yonassan Gershom

My Jewish Learning, “Star Trek Jewish Thought and Social Revolution,” by Matthue Roth.

#StarTrek #Kohanim