Leonard Nimoy's Mameloshn: A Yiddish Story

[@flootzavut]

Spock quoting Hamlet in Yiddish is the most delightfully surreal thing I have seen in a very long time. How fascinating to hear his story, thank you!

[@GaveMeGrace1]

I still prefer it “in the original Klingon!” 😉

[@clairemcheskin]

Tzu sein, oder nisht tzu sein, dos ist der frage

[@germaniatv1870]

Half of Yiddish sounds German.

[@germaniatv1870]

@@clairemcheskin Zu sein, oder nicht zu sein, das ist die frage. German.

[@joyceobeys6818]

KS Beats It is mixed with German and many German traditions.

[@catherine5599]

My one and only complaint about this interview? It was too, too short! I so wanted to hear more stories from this marvelous man.

[@YiddishBookCenter]

Glad you liked it! The full, two hour long interview is posted on the Internet Archive - the link is in the video description above.

[@ernestoguiterman2701]

yes, in some way it was too short, as one wants to listen to him more and more, but also if too long, may be one never have time to play it full. Fortunately the "full" interview is also on internet !

[@Saxofony89]

Absolutely!

[@YUMA-jz9xx]

This interview here was an appetizer. The full course is online... (Thank goodness!)

[@xyzsame4081]

@@YiddishBookCenter Just came here from an SNL skit - beautiful human, thanks for doing this. Greetings from Germany.

[@tndixiechicken]

Say not in grief 'he is no more' but in thankfulness that he was. - Hebrew Proverb

[@patrickmcshane7658]

We're always grateful, God's speed Leonard

[@hikewithmike4673]

love this saying!

[@claudiacotner1638]

Ooohmein!

[@claudiacotner1638]

Daniel Appleton His friend William Shatner on the other hand has run away from his roots. He didn’t even show up at the funeral. Yikes!

[@Inbaroush]

I love this. My mom passed away this past weekend, motze shabbat. I'm going to include this in her obituary. ❤

[@davef.2811]

A living bridge between the old ways, culture and the modern. His stories are treasures.

[@naguerea]

Spot on Dave.

[@jerryberkson5309]

I didn't know that Leonard Nimoy was Jewish. This is beautiful, poignant material. Imagine- he spoke Yiddish fluently- marvelous. What a warm human being. Jerry Berkson

[@screamtoasigh9984]

That's where the Star Trek "live long and prosper" sign came from.

[@robertlehnert4148]

Leonard went to a therapist who spoke Yiddish so he could regain full fluency.

[@flalawdog9463]

Jerry Berkson, William Shatner-Capt. Kirk-is Jewish too.

[@eureka4591]

@@screamtoasigh9984 The very sign he made - hisfour fingers spread apart, two to one side, two to the other, are the sign that the priestly class (Cohanim) of the Jewish people do when they act as intermediaries to God, blessing the entire congregation with God's blessings and peace. "May the Lord bless you and keep you," "May the Lord shine his countenance upon you." "May the Lord give you peace."

[@harrycochenour8060]

In honor of Mr. Nimoy and to you all, "peace and long life". He is and will be missed. Thank you...

[@electricmastro]

"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" - Leonard Nimoy's last tweet

[@TheLisergicQueen]

Aww, deep beautiful words!♡

[@BladeRunner-td8be]

What a deep thinker Leonard was. That last tweet of his was perfection and ironically it will be preserved not only in the memories of those who have read it, but for all time on the Internet.

[@ladybyronpoe9954]

❤

[@siegridthomas9674]

So very, very true...RIP

[@luckystarpiano]

Oh my goodness, that touched my soul! Cannot get over how wonderful this human being was! And how much these types of individuals are needed and missed today

[@coraldonna1]

A wonderful, intelligent and erudite man seemingly devoid of ego and hubris. Shalom.

[@johnw2026]

To be a Vulcan, you have to be devoid of ego and hubris. Along with purging all emotion! (Except every 7 years when he gets his Pon Far.) 😁

[@j_freed]

John w - Spock is half human.

[@farzujna1]

HI CORAL ASH. I AM NAFTALI ASCH, FROM MEXICO CITY

[@winifredtrout1]

Totally!!!

[@coraldonna1]

@@farzujna1 Are you related to Sholem Asch the writer?

[@rosewoodfretboard]

How can you not love this guy? When I was much younger, I saw Leonard Nimoy in a TV movie that dealt with The Holocaust called "Never Forget." I think he played a character named Mel Mermelstein (I apologize in advance if I am incorrect). This was at a time when I was aware of him only as Spock and as the host of the TV series "In Search Of." It was such a different role and one of such significance that it shook me a little and made me realize that there was a bigger world out there. I'm sure it sounds a little cliched, but from the perspective of a small-town Catholic kid, it was profound. I had not been exposed to different cultures, and this was among the first. I'm grateful to Mr. Nimoy for his fine work.

[@rosewoodfretboard]

Profoundly sad to hear of the passing of Leonard Nimoy. But it's nice to be among friends and read all of the heartfelt tributes to him. Thanks to all of you for letting me be a part of it.

[@sneakertoes1]

You are correct. I am glad you remember that.

[@eureka4591]

Mel Mermelstein was an important person. Holocaust survivor, he took up the challenge of a West Coast Nazi Holocaust denier, who offered a reward for anyone who could prove there were gas chambers, etc. Outraged, Mel, who had lost family in the Holocaust took the Nazi's Institute for ...... to court, where overwhelming documentary evidence was introducted by historians, first hand witnesses, and all kids of other first hand documentation that proved there were mass executions. Mel's goal was, of course, not to collect the money put up as a challenge, but to have a court of law confirm for the historical records that the Holocuast happened and that the Nazi was a hate-filled liar blinded by an evil sou.

[@Kalle0490]

He also played the prophet Samuel in „The Bible - David“

[@cockeyedoptimista]

Thank you for that lovely story about you discovering Mr. Spock's wider - that is, for your world being widened.

[@leonorlizardo5867]

I met him once, when I worked for the Doctor who treated his Mother, Dora in Beverly Hills. This was in 1999 and he was such a gentleman, kind, worried about his Mother’s tests results.

[@claudiacotner1638]

How fortunate you were. We knew Nehemia Persoff another great Jewish actor. Both are missed!

[@rsprockets7846]

@@claudiacotner1638 fascinating..............................

[@OtisFan1]

My mother was 10 when Nimoy was born. I just played this for her. Her parents also came over from Eastern Europe, and they spoke Yiddish at home. She understood his Yiddish just fine, although they have slight accent differences. We will miss him. Baruch dayan ha'emet. (Blessed is the Righteous Judge.)

[@positivitysuccessvideos]

very thoughtful of you to share with your mother. My grandparents on both sides spoke Yiddish at home. Both from Eastern Europe. I met Mr. Nimoy once in a book signing for his book "I'm not spock". He was very kind. Life is a precious gift.

[@winterweib]

Thank you both for your comments. Greetings from Berlin, Germany. Be blessed, you and your families.

[@imisstoronto3121]

My parents both spoke Yiddish, for my dad it was his first language. I'm older now, and they're gone, and I miss hearing Yiddish.

[@starshineub40]

imiss toronto My mum and dad used various Yiddish sayings, the one about the tea kettle (can't attempt to spell in Yiddish) is one that was used frequently in our house. I miss it too.

[@imisstoronto3121]

Michele Landau its 'chak mir nisht kayn chainik". My parents used it a lot. :-)

[@JaredRay_1701]

I can listen to this man tell stories for hours.....what a blessing he was.

[@sylviakaplan1172]

It's wonderful hearing him speak Yiddish. That was my first language, since my parents were immigrants from Poland and spoke Yiddish at home.

[@susanburgess820]

Me too. Dad was from warsaw poland, and my mom's family was from hungary❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@Hands2HealNow]

You are fortunate. Yiddish has always appealed to me...There is something resonant in my heart.

[@KRYPTOS_K5]

It was not my first language but I clear remember the sounds from my childhood.

[@Hun_Uinaq]

I know German so, I can understand Yiddish. It has a zest and a flavor that German just does not have. There’s a vibrancy there. I love to hear it spoken. The first time I heard it, it was like tasting a home cooked meal after only having had the canned version. That saying about the onion with the head in the ground and the feet up in the air gets me every time. I recently heard another one that had me dying: “Sollst du alle deine Zähner verliehren akhutz vun eynem. Un der soll dir weh tun.” 🤣🤣🤣 I love it!

[@claudiacotner1638]

Yes, Polish Jewry was the cream of the crop. Unfortunately, Hitler destroyed most of it. That includes the Szulbank family of Warsaw.

[@marinakaye8284]

Mr Nimoy was so familiar to me. My father was an immigrant barber, (Greek), I was always half Greek, half English. Every word he speaks resonates with me. Feel as if I knew him.

[@EugeneHardstark-do2kk]

My father was from Poland, Jewish and a barber as well ! We need more people like Mr. Nimoy in the world today !

[@Wulfdane]

I love listening to Leonard Nimoy talk about his life, fascinating.

[@Lagolop]

I don't see Yiddish dying out. Not when it is the first language of the ultra orthodox and they have HUGE families. I hope it will live forever.

[@yvettemoore1228]

From your lips to Der Eibishter's ears

[@screamtoasigh9984]

It's not the same dialect of Yiddish, it's mostly mutually intelligible, but not totally, and only mostly intelligible from certain communities.

[@debrahaslam8984]

There's a lot of Yiddish spoken in Jewish community Manchester England I'm not jewish but I think it's Yiddish it doesn't sound like Hebrew so not to worry maybe it's not dying out they said the same thing about Welsh and it's not died yet

[@mordechai-]

@@screamtoasigh9984 There has never been only one dialect of Yiddish. If anything, the jumber of dialects has dwindled. There are currently four dialects of Yiddish that I know of, and each is mutally intelligible to every community of Yiddish-speaking Jews. The only ones who have trouble understanding are those communities where Yiddish is not spoken at all, and those are mainly two: Hebrew-speaking Jews, and American Jews who speak only English. (Most Sephardim speak Hebrew.)

[@susanburgess820]

Mama loshen forever❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@musicauthority7828]

I'm half Italian, quarter English, eighth German, And eighth Jewish, I'm a mutt. Mr Spock was my favorite character on Star Trek. I tried to model my life after him, being logical and having common sense. and I think it has helped me a lot through my daily life.

[@daymenleo6895]

i had no idea his family was eastern European Jewish its the same as Walter Koening

[@OnBleeckerStreet]

@@daymenleo6895 William Shatner's family as well

[@rachelkrieger243]

I was born in A DP camp in Germany in 1947 to parents surviving Auschwitz, I love speaking Yiddish and Hebrew. This is wonderful to hear him speak my language. HOBE A GITTEN TOOG MY YIGALE. SHALOM...

[@claudiacotner1638]

De oichet!!.. Maurice HBank

[@jimhendrick5776]

For Leonard Nimoy: Baruch dayan ha'emet For Mr. Spock: Boldly go sir.

[@pearlypetals]

It is amazing how jews from any country love to hear Yiddish. There is some magic about the language. Leonard was a very special gentleman. I and my dear Mame had great fun speakig Yiddish. She was from Grodno, spoke with the litvak accent. May you all live long and prosper.

[@guerramarioalberto]

Judeospanish, too. For me, as a Spanish-speaker it' s really delightful.

[@MerleHeidi]

Ladino. There is Sephardic music on KZbin by the wonderful singer and guitarist Gerard Edery, and his Sepharad ensemble, that you might enjoy.

[@Hun_Uinaq]

@@guerramarioalberto oh, yes! Ladino is a beautiful language. I love to hear it. I recently watched a movie in it which I found on KZbin. It is almost all in Ladino. You can search for it. It is called Novia que te vea.

[@claudiacotner1638]

My father was from Warsaw. All I heard was Yiddish growing up. I miss it terribly!

[@SueProv]

I'm not Jewish and I love it.

[@NounOzlos]

Very, very cool. Love hearing him speaking Yiddish.

[@lolly2222aa]

Precious post and thank you for finding this and making it available. Leonard Nimoy is a very fine human being. Gorgeous listening to all of this, just lovely. Thank you.

[@suzanneroberge494]

I never get tired of his voice.

[@jackieollij7434]

Long love the Yiddish Language. Live Long and Prosper.

[@mylesf1027]

A beautiful, beautiful interview that warms the heart. Thank you immeasurably for this.

[@amyuehara8339]

Just overcome with emotion from this piece. So many lovely thoughts, memories, poetry, and his pure love of his family and life. That he lived with Italian families and Jewish families in Boston who spoke each other's languages was surely a part of his Spock character. Just beautiful!! l

[@CatHeadKnows53]

This interview - and this project - are so rich and valuable! A sheynem dank!

[@YiddishBookCenter]

A sheynem dank!

[@davideisen143]

RIP Leonard Nimoy...love live and prosper! It was very touching that he would have regular sessions with a Yiddish speaking psychiatrist in LA to simply have someone to talk to in Yiddish.

[@BladeRunner-td8be]

I sensed that Leonard really enjoyed this interview. The way he stared into space, reliving and seeing and feeling moments from his childhood and past, it was obvious to me that he enjoyed the experience. I had no idea he was Jewish or spoke Yiddish; this coming from a Trekkie who never NEVER missed a show each and every day that it was on TV. Leonard has a gift of story telling. The tenor, cadence, and depth of voice and emotion was evident in spades during this interview. RIP Leonard Nimoy. This was so short, too short. I am thankful to whoever did this interview but next time you're interviewing someone as interesting as Leonard Nimoy, for god's sake man, make it longer, MUCH longer.

[@YiddishBookCenter]

You can watch the full interview here: www.yiddishbookcenter.org/collections/oral-histories/interviews/woh-fi-0000483/leonard-nimoy-2013

[@gookskywalker]

Great guy.I really liked Leonard Nimoy's sense of humor.He will be missed but never forgotten.God Bless you Leonard.

[@Max7Mix]

I look into my mother's eyes and,sadly, there I see the love that won't let me become the bird I want to be. Fascinating.

[@psdumas]

Love this so much. What a darling man. Brings back memories of my family too.

[@enniscorthylad]

I've been a fan of Leonard Nimoy since I was 9 years old after watching him in the original Star Trek series in the late 1960s. I have enjoyed watching him perform since then on TV and in the cinema and like millions of others will miss this truly talented actor.

[@TheresaSchmitt]

Lovely- what a personal, insightful look into his life.

[@bobbiemerrills3651]

What an amusing man. Plus a lovely insight into his life. Really interesting

[@AlrebeccaBarenboum]

Just enjoy, this is amazing. Thank You!!!!!!!!! Thank You for all these stories and for Yiddish language!!!!!!!!!!!!! My grands spoke Yiddish!

[@AgnosticProle]

I wish he could have lived as long as his most beloved character.

[@Psydkik]

I think the character will live forever.

[@miriamhavard7621]

😊☺☕

[@alanherman9865]

I remember some of the sayings at the end of the interview that my mother used to say to me, made me tear up. My parents spoke Yiddish, I never learned but for a few words here & there. Baruch Dyan Emmet, Alava shalom, Leonard Nimoy, you are missed.

[@flalawdog9463]

Alan Herman , my mom used to tell me all the time, “Oy, don’t hock me a chinek!” LOL

[@therocinante3443]

I had no idea he spoke Yiddish. Makes me like him even more

[@The_Real_Danger_Mouse]

I am profoundly honored to have been alive at the time Leonard Nimoy walked the Earth.

[@mibelloaleman]

A beautiful man in every sense till the end! I will miss him and that exquisite voice! RIP Leonard! LLAP!

[@greenghost2008]

I knew Vulcans spoke Yiddish.

[@jaimezal1]

course we do

[@allenjenkins7947]

Logical.

[@winifredtrout1]

That's funny

[@isaacolivecrona6114]

Of course, their greeting is the Aaronic blessing.

[@robyngrenside5157]

how did you know that

[@mirochka1962]

An amazing interview I knew he was part Russian never knew he was Jewish and spoke Yedish Thanks so much ♥️

[@cecelial.harris9016]

I will always love Leonard Nimoy for all he has done for me as a child growing up in life and helping me to better understand people from all walks of life

[@barbarasakowitz7606]

Brings back such memories.. My Bubbe and Zayde and all my Dad's Aunts and my Husbands Mom and Aunts all spoke Yiddish fluently.. I can understand most all, but am sad to say I can not speak the language. This inspires me to learn quickly and teach my grandchildren... I sang my favorite Yiddish folk song's to them as babies, just as my Bubbe sang them to me. We really do need to keep the language alive. Thank you Leonard Nimoy.

[@claudiacotner1638]

It can leave you quickly but will return as quick if you hear it. I haven’t spoken it in years, and my understanding is also rusty. How sad not to have someone to talk to or hear it from. Good luck!.. Maurice HBank

[@claudiacotner1638]

Yes, I agree. My dad was from Warsaw and spoke it to me all the time. I speak it and understand it, but sadly, I have no one to use it on. Stay well, Maurice HBank aka Szulbank.

[@ak5659]

Your singing wasn't wasted. Your grandchildren will likely have far fewer problems producing non-English sounds and sound combinations should they learn Yiddish when they're older.

[@Omega13channel]

I had a crush on Leonard Nimoy when I was a teenager...loved Star Trek, loved In Search Of. I wish I could have met him.

[@gloriajacobs756]

Me too him 1 st then kirk.

[@edgardocarrasquillo9]

I'am amazed to learn about this details. Nimoy, dear God, what a life. Bless him, bless him.

[@toboldygo5823]

I live the same life as Leonard but opposite. I am hundred percent Italian grew up in Queens predominantly Jewish Irish German as a child I would run errands for the older Jewish people in my neighborhood. It’s like Leonard said they seem to be afraid but they were beautiful decent people. The greatest love in my life was a Beautiful Jewish girl.❤️ i’m old now I dream of her often👸🏻✡️❤️✝️ 🙏🏻

[@nachman613]

This just made my day! Thanks for sharing!

[@michellekatz1023]

Always believe

[@kingdoc3262]

Another side of Leonard Nemoy, Spock, that I never knew. Saying a lot in it. About Mothers and Yiddish culture and Jews and Italians getting along. Cool. I learned a little Yiddish in college. I hope it finds it's Youth to keep it alive! Had a great teacher at Tufts University, Sol Gittleman!

[@roderickstockdale1678]

Are you a fellow Bostonian?

[@barryetherton4889]

Who still watching Star Trek in 2019???

[@BladeRunner-td8be]

Sadly after watching every episode at least 6 -12 times over the years, not me. I've had my fill. Star Trek will always hold a special place in my heart however as one of the greatest if not the greatest TV shows of all time.

[@elektronischemusik1903]

me, but i prefer the older stuff. spock is one of my favorite film charakters ever and mr nemoy played him perfectly. people should view the documentation "for the love of spock". he was such a great man. hard worker and very humble, despite that he was a famous star.

[@suzannebrown2505]

Barry Etherton: I will. I am Suzanne, an original Baby Boomer (born in 1946). I watch the latest series, Picard, on CBS. I’ve been watching most of the Star Trek series’ since the 60s, when the Original began and have been watching new and old reruns for nearly 50 years now! It has become part of who I am, changed me and the way I think about science, and the way I think about the truth of innovations and discoveries that have come to pass, the existences of alien cultures and their influence on Earth and life and reality and the future.

[@carmenana4890]

Meeeee 😀👍👍👍

[@daveco3217]

I’ll make sure my children watch it

[@theresebohn8966]

Love this so much. What a joy. Thank you for sharing! I hope there will be more interviews like this with Mr. Nimoy!

[@dimension372]

Absolute delight to listen to his story.

[@isaacshanfield7616]

Wonderful material!!

[@InformationIsTheEdge]

I quite thoroughly enjoyed that. Thank you for the post.

[@YonatanMiller1]

wow so great that this stuff can be preserved and shared

[@jochannan7379]

Before the war, 12 million people from the Baltic to the Black sea spoke Yiddish. All gone. Such a terrible loss.

[@nadyarossi5102]

Incalculable

[@Pudsy440]

Interesting and down to earth character despite his stardom.

[@scot60]

They just don’t make them like this anymore. What a good man he was. RIP

[@emagneticfield]

I love this video. We need more videos like this to stay in touch with the past. ♥️

[@annecohen8927]

What a very intriguing and completely remarkable man. Such a huge inspiration to many. We ❤️ Leonard Nimoy 😁. I wish he was still around especially when we need him the most. Live long, well, and prosper!

[@dr.phil-federalinspector6023]

It is sad that we have lost such a Wise and Wonderful Actor..RIP...Leonard.. Mr. SPOCK...

[@jmc6687]

What a cool guy he was. The world needs more men like him, humble, honest , hard working and respectful.

[@kaycox5555]

This was delightful to watching and hear!!

[@OtisFan1]

Nimoy says the phrase at 9:18: "Hak mir nisht keyn tshainik" literally "Don't bang a teakettle" meaning "Don't bother me" --"hak" means chop (cognate of English "hack"), hew, mince, slash, beat. Notice I used "tsh" for the sound of ch as in church. This is how it is spelled in Yiddish (tes+shin) and avoids confusion with kh (khes or khof), the first sound of Khanukah or khutspe, often transliterated ch (which can be misread as English ch as in chop or even French sh sound as in cher or chanson). My parents also used it whenever we were nagging or begging for something.

[@billpisetsky1]

I am not fluent by any means, but I understood many of the expressions Leonard Nimoy shared. Thank you for this video. It brought back such beautiful and warm memories. How does one explain the richness of the language to anyone who wasn't raised with it? I certainly know that Yiddish is a dying language, yet hearing Mr. Nimoy say it at the end of the video brought tears to my eyes. What other language can evoke such emotions? Bill Pisetsky

[@מעין-צ9ג]

It's not dying that's bullshit lots of people actively speak it they just "don't count"

[@janegoldschlager8666]

This makes me weep. My Grandma and Grandpa had a fruit and veggie store on the LES.

[@roderickstockdale1678]

The heart of Jewish America!

[@dave623]

The most coherent interview of Leonard Nemoy ever.

[@YUMA-jz9xx]

I miss this guy! Now he is up in the sky, and down here on earth in our hearts, from which he will never part, until we do, and up in the sky we'll be with him, too. May the blessings of character and insight he brought into the world continue.

[@wolfkafitz9461]

“You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Yiddish”. גרויסאַרטיק/great!

[@WeeWeeJumbo]

Wolf Kafitz nice one Mr Kafitz

[@feralbluee]

ROTFL - 🤣 i think you have to brought up Jewish to get that one :)

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

the yiddish is very easy to understand for a Dutchman..

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

German( and all it's dialects) Low German, Yiddish, Dutch, Frisian - English ( the two Anglo-Frisian languages) are all closely related... English and German have the sh and ow sounds in it and sound a lot alike in Dutch ears.. are all west Germanic languages only 1500 years ago they were one language...English departed after 1066...when it got polluted by French..

[@Dear_Mr._Isaiah_Deringer]

@@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands Polluted is a bit rough word choice. Let's call it cultural enrichment 😆

[@supernova1969]

@@Dear_Mr._Isaiah_Deringer .Agreed ! After 1066, English loan words from Norman French increased. Earlier than that, it was Latin that provided a good source of words. Danish, too, had had an indelible impact on the vocabulary and syntax of English. The 3rd person S singular for the present simple, the -ing suffix, the pronoun They, the pronoun She, the possessive ITS, in addition to some nine hundred words are all from Medieval Danish. English became truly what S.T. Coleridge described "The Harvest of the Nations." By the way, the Normans were Danes who used French for the Administration. So, French was already a language an enormous cultural heritage. Thank you for your patience.

[@YUMA-jz9xx]

@@supernova1969 that's some super info there super nova! I had no idea...

[@MadJackChurchill1312]

Wim V Dutch is older than German lol.

[@claudiacotner1638]

Such a great interview. I am getting rusty too Mr Nimoy, as I have no one to converse with. His Yiddish was a bit different from the one I heard in my home. Different pronunciations can cause one to strain to try and understand. But it was so wonderful to see he still spoke it unlike people like Kirk Douglas who ran away from it. Wouldn’t it be great to have Mr Nimoy, Paul Muni, Sam Jaffe, Danny Kaye, Month Hall, Edward G Robinson, and Nehemia Persoff all in one room conversing in Yiddish? From what I havre read all were fluent in it.Thank you sir for a great life and not abandoning your roots. Shalom..Maurice H Bank

[@mrsniffwell5367]

This is great. My FIL grew up in this area. He went to school with Leonard's brother Melvin and got his hair cut at his father's barber shop. He didn't know them that well but said they were good people.

[@barbaravance4323]

I grew up around the corner from his brother Mel - and his family. My family and theirs were close friends. Im still in touch.

[@martinalenz5029]

After seeing this it got very clear to me why Mr. Nimoy filled his role as Spock the way He did. The audience All felt that He was completely true and very deep, and therefore He was loved and respected so deeply by millions of people around the World.

[@markpong5435]

Once in Thailand I was wolking along the sea talking to a man who came from Luxembourg. I asked him what language they speak in Luxembourg. He said they speak Luxemburgian. He explained that the language is an offshoot from a germanic dialect back in the 9th century. I found it very interesting as I knew a language which is also 9th century offshot from a germanic dialect. I offered him to continue conversation in both languages. To our surprise we could understand each other quite well. I told him how much of a surprise will be back at home when I tell I can speak Luxembourgian. He said it would be a shock for his relatives when he tells them he could speak Yiddish (the man was from an old Luxembourg aristocracy). As for the future of Yiddish I remember what Nobel Price recipients Isaak Bashever Singer said when asked about the reason he writes in Yiddish. He said he believes that when messiah comes many jewish yidish speaking people will come to life and what the first question they will ask: Is there a good book to read?

[@barbaravance4323]

I enjoyed your post a especially about Yiddish being a 9th century offshoot of German. I didn’t realize that it dated back that far Ladino is similar to Castilian Spanish - dead except it exists in Ladino. Fascinating that those in Luxembourg would understand. Do you know if that’s still true today?

[@claudiacotner1638]

Singer gave up on God when he saw all his friends murdered by Hitler in Poland.

[@ocmeditor8700]

Oh, I was so crazy about him. Always will be.

[@DeeDee-lz8zx]

Great interview!

[@starshineub40]

This is a great piece of footage. Wish I'd met him... and chatted in Yiddish.

[@claudiacotner1638]

Good for you. I have always wanted to meet Ross Martin or Paul Muni and also converse in Yiddish. Maybe up there! Stay well, Maurice HBank

[@miriamzajfman4305]

I never knew he was my '' landsman '' - His Yiddish was better than mine ! Please do send some more stories like that ! Thanks from Montreal 💌

[@panjandrum.conundrum]

Shatner's Jewish too.

[@joalexsg9741]

Oh my this is a historical video, I must share the link to it on my edublogs, thank you so much for this!

[@jcortese3300]

His description of Boston reminds me of my mom's description of South Philadelphia: about two-thirds Italian, the rest mostly Russian Jews, and a smattering of Lebanese and Syrians. That poem really hit home for me ... I don't think Yiddish will die out -- they said the same thing of Hebrew. When people love something, they manage to keep it around.

[@royalordinance]

The more I learn about Leonard, the more I dig him.

[@EllEff652]

I'm not even Jewish and I find this interview amazing and so intriguing. Amazing to hear Nimoy speak Yiddish. Totally new respect for this man.

[@ilanapc]

So much talent,charm and love for the Idish language and culture so sad he is gone

[@waynemullally6423]

I know no Yiddish, but I loved this. So many people with no Jewish background have wonderful Yiddish in their backgrounds. This makes America great.

[@ak5659]

Yeah, my grandmother's Polish was peppered with Yiddish. I was an adult before I learned 'kvetch' and 'schmata' were not Polish words. I just assumed 'kvetch' was a bastardization of 'kw(I)eczyć' (to complain) and 'szmata'. So here I am, flexing because I'm third generation born in the US and can have a normal conversation in Polish..... and I'm inserting Yiddish!

[@tarieannfrazier515]

A nostalgic gem during vid19. An amazing story, interview, and life.

[@EdwardianMama]

RIP and thanks for lightening up some dark hours of mine...

[@LenForster1944]

May his memory be a blessing.

[@supercompooper]

He gave me a mind meld once!! Such a sweet guy!

[@davehyde6207]

Listening to this it's like listening to a family member telling their story.. no star ego just a man telling it...fantastic interview, condolences to his wife and family , rest well mr nemoy.

[@Hun_Uinaq]

The part about him paying somebody to speak his native language with him about the eight minute mark really touched me. My native language is Spanish. I was married to a monolingual English speaker for 15 years. There were times when I miss the language so much that I would spend Time at night when everybody was asleep watching Spanish soap operas just to hear it spoken in conversation. I hate Spanish soap operas! But, you miss your language so much that you’ll do anything to touch it again and to use it again in someway. I would absolutely do exactly as he did if I had similar circumstances. Yes I would! May he rest in peace. I am a lifelong fan of his work. Diehard trekie.

[@shimshonbitnun5778]

A REAL MENSH AND AN OUTSTANDING HUMAN-SO DIFFERENT FROM MOST ACTORS NOWADAYS!TZAI GESUNT LEONARD UNT A GUTEN YONTEV!!!

[@bierhippe]

I saw the First episodes in b/w Television in the year 1972.This was the time, when the First episodes of Star Trek- in German „Raumschiff Enterprise“ were broadcasted. I was „fascinated“ Leonard, you were really a Great Man and Actor ! - RIP- we will all follow you ! Greetings from Germany

[@genefrederickson8976]

That's a wonderful interview.

[@dj4123]

My maternal grandmother spoke Yiddish. She was from Russia long long ago. I will be terribly disappointed if Yiddish fades away. It is such an interesting (and sometimes hilarious) language! Good to see Leonard Nimoy again. He was a very good man.

[@ak5659]

As of 2021 Yiddish was going strong enough that my neighbor attended Yiddish performance of a Shakespeare play in NYC.

[@fredferd965]

There was an enormous depth and wisdom to this man. It is sad that his most famous role in Star Trek did not allow more of his character to be developed and come out.

[@גליתאנגור-ש1צ]

Wow .. this is so moving. I didn't know he spoke Yiddish. Oyy riboyne shel oylam.. :)

[@roowyrm9576]

Fascinating, and resonates strongly with !y own family history. Thank you. RIP Leonard Jimmy.

[@TrekkieGamerOtaku]

Interesting interview. RIP Leonard!

[@danieledaroma1446]

A very touching interview, expecially now it'some year he passed away. Thanks for publishing.

[@billjenkins687]

I had no idea. This is marvelous. As a man exploring his Jewish heritage, it delights me that such an icon has much in common with me.