Leonard Nimoy's Mameloshn: A Yiddish Story

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 พ.ค. 2024
  • To watch the full interview, visit: www.yiddishbookcenter.org/coll...
    Yes, Leonard Nimoy speaks Yiddish. Learn more about Leonard (Leyb) Nimoy from his Jewish roots in Boston's heymish West End neighborhood to his brief stint working with famous Yiddish theatre maven Maurice Schwartz in these video highlights from the Wexler Oral History Project's interview with the man made famous by his role as Spock on Star Trek.
    Archival photographs courtesy of the West End Museum, the Jules Aarons Estate, and Leonard Nimoy's personal collection.
    To learn more about the Wexler Oral History Project and to see the full interview, visit: www.yiddishbookcenter.org/coll...

ความคิดเห็น • 841

  • @tndixiechicken
    @tndixiechicken 9 ปีที่แล้ว +547

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

    • @patrickmcshane7658
      @patrickmcshane7658 5 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      We're always grateful, God's speed Leonard

    • @hikewithmike4673
      @hikewithmike4673 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      love this saying!

    • @claudiacotner1638
      @claudiacotner1638 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Ooohmein!

    • @claudiacotner1638
      @claudiacotner1638 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      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
      @Inbaroush 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

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

  • @flootzavut
    @flootzavut 9 ปีที่แล้ว +456

    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
      @GaveMeGrace1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

    • @clairemcheskin
      @clairemcheskin 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

    • @ksgermania6159
      @ksgermania6159 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Half of Yiddish sounds German.

    • @ksgermania6159
      @ksgermania6159 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

    • @joyceobeys6818
      @joyceobeys6818 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @davef.2811
    @davef.2811 4 ปีที่แล้ว +71

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

    • @naguerea
      @naguerea ปีที่แล้ว

      Spot on Dave.

  • @catherine5599
    @catherine5599 9 ปีที่แล้ว +403

    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
      @YiddishBookCenter  9 ปีที่แล้ว +80

      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
      @ernestoguiterman2701 7 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      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
      @Saxofony89 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Absolutely!

    • @YUMA-jz9xx
      @YUMA-jz9xx 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

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

    • @xyzsame4081
      @xyzsame4081 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

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

  • @coraldonna1
    @coraldonna1 10 ปีที่แล้ว +216

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

    • @johnw2026
      @johnw2026 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      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
      @j_freed 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      John w - Spock is half human.

    • @farzujna1
      @farzujna1 3 ปีที่แล้ว

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

    • @winifredtrout1
      @winifredtrout1 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Totally!!!

    • @coraldonna1
      @coraldonna1 2 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @leonorlizardo5867
    @leonorlizardo5867 4 ปีที่แล้ว +51

    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
      @claudiacotner1638 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

    • @rsprockets7846
      @rsprockets7846 ปีที่แล้ว

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

    • @mikecorleone4469
      @mikecorleone4469 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sensitive time to have met him

  • @electricmastro
    @electricmastro 9 ปีที่แล้ว +236

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

    • @TheLisergicQueen
      @TheLisergicQueen 9 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Aww, deep beautiful words!♡

    • @BladeRunner-td8be
      @BladeRunner-td8be 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      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
      @ladybyronpoe9954 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    • @siegridthomas9674
      @siegridthomas9674 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      So very, very true...RIP

    • @luckystarpiano
      @luckystarpiano 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      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

  • @rachelkrieger243
    @rachelkrieger243 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    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...

  • @marinakaye8284
    @marinakaye8284 5 ปีที่แล้ว +58

    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
      @EugeneHardstark-do2kk 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

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

  • @jimhendrick5776
    @jimhendrick5776 9 ปีที่แล้ว +104

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

  • @jerryberkson5309
    @jerryberkson5309 9 ปีที่แล้ว +238

    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
      @screamtoasigh9984 4 ปีที่แล้ว +25

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

    • @robertlehnert4148
      @robertlehnert4148 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

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

    • @flalawdog9463
      @flalawdog9463 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

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

    • @eureka4591
      @eureka4591 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      @@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
      @harrycochenour8060 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

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

  • @JaredRay_1701
    @JaredRay_1701 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

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

  • @Wulfdane
    @Wulfdane 5 ปีที่แล้ว +54

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

  • @Lagolop
    @Lagolop 10 ปีที่แล้ว +181

    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
      @yvettemoore1228 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      From your lips to Der Eibishter's ears

    • @screamtoasigh9984
      @screamtoasigh9984 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

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

    • @debrahaslam8984
      @debrahaslam8984 4 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      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-
      @mordechai- 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@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
      @susanburgess820 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Mama loshen forever❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

  • @sylviakaplan1172
    @sylviakaplan1172 10 ปีที่แล้ว +118

    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
      @susanburgess820 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

    • @Hands2HealNow
      @Hands2HealNow 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

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

    • @KRYPTOS_K5
      @KRYPTOS_K5 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

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

    • @philomelodia
      @philomelodia 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      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
      @claudiacotner1638 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

  • @pearlypetals
    @pearlypetals 9 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    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
      @guerramarioalberto 7 ปีที่แล้ว +3

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

    • @MerleHeidi
      @MerleHeidi 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

    • @philomelodia
      @philomelodia 2 ปีที่แล้ว

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

    • @claudiacotner1638
      @claudiacotner1638 ปีที่แล้ว

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

    • @SueProv
      @SueProv ปีที่แล้ว

      I'm not Jewish and I love it.

  • @davideisen143
    @davideisen143 9 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    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.

  • @Max7Mix
    @Max7Mix 4 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    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.

  • @jackieollij7434
    @jackieollij7434 9 ปีที่แล้ว +104

    Long love the Yiddish Language.
    Live Long and Prosper.

  • @toboldygo5823
    @toboldygo5823 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    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👸🏻✡️❤️✝️ 🙏🏻

  • @rosewoodfretboard
    @rosewoodfretboard 9 ปีที่แล้ว +216

    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
      @rosewoodfretboard 9 ปีที่แล้ว +24

      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
      @sneakertoes1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You are correct. I am glad you remember that.

    • @eureka4591
      @eureka4591 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      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
      @Kalle0490 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

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

    • @cockeyedoptimista
      @cockeyedoptimista 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @OtisFan1
    @OtisFan1 9 ปีที่แล้ว +144

    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.)

    • @JoeSegal
      @JoeSegal 9 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      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
      @winterweib 9 ปีที่แล้ว +12

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

    • @imisstoronto3121
      @imisstoronto3121 9 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      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
      @starshineub40 9 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      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
      @imisstoronto3121 9 ปีที่แล้ว +7

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

  • @therocinante3443
    @therocinante3443 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

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

  • @supercompooper
    @supercompooper 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

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

  • @koala7254
    @koala7254 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    i love him. plain and simple

  • @scot60
    @scot60 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

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

  • @jochannan7379
    @jochannan7379 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

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

  • @NounOzlos
    @NounOzlos 10 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    Very, very cool. Love hearing him speaking Yiddish.

  • @wolfkafitz9461
    @wolfkafitz9461 4 ปีที่แล้ว +22

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

    • @WeeWeeJumbo
      @WeeWeeJumbo 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Wolf Kafitz nice one Mr Kafitz

    • @feralbluee
      @feralbluee 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @barryetherton4889
    @barryetherton4889 5 ปีที่แล้ว +67

    Who still watching Star Trek in 2019???

    • @BladeRunner-td8be
      @BladeRunner-td8be 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      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
      @elektronischemusik1903 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      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
      @suzannebrown2505 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      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
      @carmenana4890 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Meeeee 😀👍👍👍

    • @daveco3217
      @daveco3217 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I’ll make sure my children watch it

  • @ZharelAnger
    @ZharelAnger 9 ปีที่แล้ว +5

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

  • @dimension372
    @dimension372 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Absolute delight to listen to his story.

  • @harrygruber2302
    @harrygruber2302 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Leonard your Yiddish is very good. Kudos to you. Teach your children and your grandchildren the language. Let them remember from whence they are from.And I wish you health and wealth . And LIVE LONG AND PROSPER.🖖 Do you know what this sign is. When the kohanim bless the congregation every holiday they lift their hands with this sign with both hands with the thumbs touching each other.

    • @JulieWallis1963
      @JulieWallis1963 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Harry Gruber you do know he died five years ago?

    • @harrygruber2302
      @harrygruber2302 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yes I heard about it later. He was a good man . May he Rest In Peace

  • @dr.phil-federalinspector6023
    @dr.phil-federalinspector6023 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

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

  • @gookskywalker
    @gookskywalker 9 ปีที่แล้ว +16

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

  • @AgnosticProle
    @AgnosticProle 9 ปีที่แล้ว +77

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

    • @Psydkik
      @Psydkik 9 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I think the character will live forever.

    • @miriamhavard7621
      @miriamhavard7621 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      😊☺☕

  • @royalordinance
    @royalordinance 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

  • @pfcthomasw.9394
    @pfcthomasw.9394 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Rest in Peace
    Lenny,
    We all miss you
    So very much
    🖖🏿 Shalom

  • @lolly2222aa
    @lolly2222aa 10 ปีที่แล้ว +43

    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.

  • @edgardocarrasquillo9
    @edgardocarrasquillo9 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

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

  • @rubenswm1
    @rubenswm1 7 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Yiddishkeit at its best ! tks for sharing !

  • @kingdoc3262
    @kingdoc3262 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    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!

  • @barbarasakowitz7606
    @barbarasakowitz7606 9 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    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
      @claudiacotner1638 ปีที่แล้ว

      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
      @claudiacotner1638 ปีที่แล้ว

      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.

  • @enniscorthylad
    @enniscorthylad 9 ปีที่แล้ว +18

    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.

  • @Omega13channel
    @Omega13channel 5 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    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.

  • @mibelloaleman
    @mibelloaleman 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

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

  • @amyuehara8339
    @amyuehara8339 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    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

  • @OtisFan1
    @OtisFan1 9 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    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.

  • @mylesf1027
    @mylesf1027 6 ปีที่แล้ว +35

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

  • @markpong5435
    @markpong5435 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    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
      @barbaravance4323 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      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
      @claudiacotner1638 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @BladeRunner-td8be
    @BladeRunner-td8be 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    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
      @YiddishBookCenter  4 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @psdumas
    @psdumas 4 ปีที่แล้ว +15

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

  • @janegoldschlager8666
    @janegoldschlager8666 9 ปีที่แล้ว +12

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

  • @Pudsy440
    @Pudsy440 9 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    Interesting and down to earth character despite his stardom.

  • @ilanapc
    @ilanapc 9 ปีที่แล้ว +3

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

  • @ocmeditor8700
    @ocmeditor8700 9 ปีที่แล้ว +18

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

  • @bobbiemerrills3651
    @bobbiemerrills3651 5 ปีที่แล้ว +15

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

  • @TheresaSchmitt
    @TheresaSchmitt 9 ปีที่แล้ว +26

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

  • @mirochka1962
    @mirochka1962 7 ปีที่แล้ว +24

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

  • @MsC1953
    @MsC1953 10 ปีที่แล้ว +36

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

  • @alanherman9865
    @alanherman9865 9 ปีที่แล้ว +29

    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
      @flalawdog9463 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

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

  • @avishnya1
    @avishnya1 8 ปีที่แล้ว +11

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

  • @LenForster1944
    @LenForster1944 9 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    May his memory be a blessing.

  • @joelleson3313
    @joelleson3313 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    My story is almost exactly like Leonard's, to include the Italian and Jewish kids growing up together [in South Philly]. My folks spoke Yiddish. When they didn't want me to know what was going on, they'd speak Russian. Mom would say, "Hoch mil nit in chinik. Ikh mach mil mashuga!"

  • @musicauthority7828
    @musicauthority7828 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    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
      @daymenleo6895 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @philomelodia
    @philomelodia 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    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.

  • @hoffer54
    @hoffer54 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Leonard Nimoy, may your spirit live long and prosper!

  • @EdwardianMama
    @EdwardianMama 9 ปีที่แล้ว +6

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

  • @SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands
    @SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands 10 ปีที่แล้ว +73

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

    • @SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands
      @SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands 10 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      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
      @Dear_Mr._Isaiah_Deringer 5 ปีที่แล้ว +12

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

    • @supernova1969
      @supernova1969 5 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@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
      @YUMA-jz9xx 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

    • @MadJackChurchill1312
      @MadJackChurchill1312 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Wim V Dutch is older than German lol.

  • @annecohen8927
    @annecohen8927 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    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!

  • @MerleHeidi
    @MerleHeidi 6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    A true Yiddish neshumah. Wonderful. The gesture that he used as Spock, the Vulcan, hand up, palm forward, forefinger and middle finger together, separated from the ring finger and pinky together, thumb out,was Leonard Nimoy's idea. He adapted it from a gesture as a blessing by the Kohanim in Orthodox Jewish souls, invoking the Hebrew letter shin, which suggests many Hebrew words that begin with shin.

  • @cecelial.harris9016
    @cecelial.harris9016 4 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    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

  • @mactek6033
    @mactek6033 9 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Leonard doesn't need Yiddish now. He has something much better. He has perfect heart communication. He has home.

  • @mrsniffwell5367
    @mrsniffwell5367 6 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    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
      @barbaravance4323 2 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @YUMA-jz9xx
    @YUMA-jz9xx 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    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.

  • @greenghost2008
    @greenghost2008 9 ปีที่แล้ว +315

    I knew Vulcans spoke Yiddish.

  • @Dkalban
    @Dkalban 9 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    RIP Mr. Nimoy.

  • @nachman613
    @nachman613 9 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    This just made my day! Thanks for sharing!

  • @rosannacellini2158
    @rosannacellini2158 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I always thought Leonard Nimoy was a cool guy! I loved Star Trek, even though I was only 5 when it came out. William Shatner was cool too. Later, I found they were of Jewish heratage.. I like good people, no matter what decent.. Leonard had an excellent narrating voice for, In Search Of. Good show. I really enjoyed this nice interview, and hearing him speak in Yiddish. God rest him. 👍🙏

  • @jcortese3300
    @jcortese3300 5 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    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.

  • @famtube007
    @famtube007 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    ru in shlum, love this man. Learnt humanity from him.

  • @billpisetsky1
    @billpisetsky1 10 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    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

    • @user-po9iy3pk2y
      @user-po9iy3pk2y 2 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @kaycox5555
    @kaycox5555 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    This was delightful to watching and hear!!

  • @claudiacotner1638
    @claudiacotner1638 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    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

  • @YonatanMiller1
    @YonatanMiller1 8 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    wow so great that this stuff can be preserved and shared

  • @bierhippe
    @bierhippe 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    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

  • @junaid1
    @junaid1 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Poor Leonard: He is gone and I wish we could have told him that Yiddish is very much alive. Not just in Yiddish theatre, but among many Hassidic groups and their children. It is even being revived on University campuses. Yiddish is no where near dead. There are thankfully a growing number of speakers.

    • @Julia-br5tq
      @Julia-br5tq ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That makes me so happy to hear! His sadness in the video is palpable. Yiddish is so beautiful.

  • @Capybaraism
    @Capybaraism 9 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Rest in Peace, Sir.

  • @jmc6687
    @jmc6687 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @HowardKuflik
    @HowardKuflik 9 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I love it..and miss hearing the language ..

  • @starshineub40
    @starshineub40 9 ปีที่แล้ว +4

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

    • @claudiacotner1638
      @claudiacotner1638 ปีที่แล้ว

      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

  • @TheCodedtestament
    @TheCodedtestament 9 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Leonard Nimoy was the heart of Star Trek he also did many other things but as Mr Spock he will always be remembered R.I.P. On your continuing voyage you will missed greatly the world of Star Trek will never be the same.

  • @dennysmith7862
    @dennysmith7862 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    ALWAYS loved him - even more now discovering he is YIDDISH!!!
    Great actor was always convincing in his role as Spock...

    • @claudiacotner1638
      @claudiacotner1638 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sorry, the language is Yiddish. The race is Hebrew/Jewish.

  • @shimshonbitnun5778
    @shimshonbitnun5778 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

  • @isaacshanfield7616
    @isaacshanfield7616 10 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Wonderful material!!

  • @dave623
    @dave623 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The most coherent interview of Leonard Nemoy ever.

  • @dj4123
    @dj4123 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    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.

  • @InformationIsTheEdge
    @InformationIsTheEdge 9 ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

  • @TheCosmicRabbit
    @TheCosmicRabbit 9 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    he had very long histroy

  • @micasadigh3787
    @micasadigh3787 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What a beautiful gift to humanity.