SerpApi.Org
A foundation honoring the memory of Leonard Nimoy, the Jewish actor who famously played the pointy-eared Vulcan Mr. Spock in Star Trek, has selected this year’s winners for its “Live Long and Prosper” Tribute Award.
The honorees, all from Vanderbilt University, are Rabbi Shlomo Rothstein, director of the Rohr Chabad House and Lubeck Center for Jewish Life, Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, and Vice Chancellor for Operations and the Campus Network Darren Reisberg. Recognized for “combating hatred, supporting Jewish life and bridging divides,” the three will be honored at a celebration at the Vanderbilt Chabad House on September 18.
According to the Nimoy-Knight Foundation, established by Leonard Nimoy’s daughter Julie Nimoy and filmmaker David Knight, the Live Long and Prosper (LLAP) award recognizes individuals whose lives exemplify compassion, wisdom, courage, service and an enduring commitment to human dignity. Previous honorees include Whoopi Goldberg, Billie Jean King, Neil deGrasse Tyson, George Takei, LeVar Burton and Mayim Bialik.
Nimoy, born in Boston to Yiddish-speaking Jewish immigrants in 1931, had an acting career that spanned seven decades, boldly going where few had gone before. His iconic Spock character helped launch the original 1966 Star Trek science fiction television series into one of the most recognizable media franchises of all time, with numerous films, video games, comic books, and TV show spinoffs.
Nimoy has said that his character’s iconic Vulcan salute was inspired by the hand gesture used by Jewish priests, or kohanim, during the Priestly Blessing he witnessed as a child in synagogue. He has also described the blessing as the inspiration for Spock’s greeting, “Live long and prosper.”
Nimoy, who earned three Emmy Award nominations and had an asteroid named after him, was active in several Jewish causes, and narrated the documentary “A Life Apart: Hasidism in America,” in 1997. He was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) about a year before he reached his final frontier in 2015.
Accepting the award, Diermeier said Nimoy’s trademark phrase rose above the show that made it famous.
“The phrase ‘live long and prosper’ has become one of the most recognizable expressions in popular culture,” Diermeier said. “Yet its enduring appeal lies in the aspiration it represents — an aspiration that transcends cultures and generations: the idea that people can flourish, contribute to the common good, and live together with dignity, mutual respect and peace.”
“In a world too often marked by division and misunderstanding, these values remain as relevant as ever, and they are at the heart of the work of combating antisemitism and strengthening understanding across communities,” he added.
The post ‘Live Long and Prosper’: Spock’s legacy honors Jewish leaders for fighting hate appeared first on The Times of Israel.
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