This interview was conducted in Yiddish, English, Multiple languages.
Leonard Nimoy was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1931. Leonard died in 2015.
0:17 – Introduction
0:35 – Leonard’s Family Background in Izyaslav, Ukraine
6:04 – Leonard’s Memories of His Childhood Home in Boston, Massachusetts
9:31 – Growing Up in the West End of Boston
16:58 – Growing Up in a Multigenerational Home
20:53 – Religious Observance in Leonard’s Childhood
23:27 – Music, Politics, and Anti-Semitism in Leonard’s Childhood
27:13 – Leonard’s Experience as a First-Generation American in Boston
29:19 – Leonard Recalls His Decision to Make a Career of Acting
33:29 – Leonard’s Childhood Jobs and His Work in California
37:39 – Leonard’s Early Experiences with Yiddish Theater
47:23 – Leonard’s Renewed Interest in Yiddish and Yiddish Theater
52:21 – Leonard Recalls His Grandfather’s Support for His Aspirations in Acting
54:39 – Leonard Recalls His Childhood Shuls
59:24 – Using the Shin Symbol as Spock’s “Live Long and Prosper” Greeting
66:02 – The Parallels Between Spock as an Alien and the Jewish Experience in the Diaspora
67:16 – Leonard Describes Growing Up with Jewish Values
68:35 – Leonard Discusses the Difficulty of Finding a Jewish Community in California
71:16 – Leonard’s Experience Returning to Yiddish Later in Life
73:51 – The Impact of Leonard’s Jewish Upbringing on His Values as an Adult
77:05 – Leonard on How the West End Has Changed, and His Identity as a West Ender
81:19 – Leonard Recalls Returning to Boston to Play Tevye
85:02 – Exploring Roots in Russia During the Production of “Star Trek: The Voyage Home”
98:53 – Leonard’s Family Photographs
101:35 – Leonard Talks About Passing on Values and Traditions as a Parent
103:24 – The Place of Yiddish in Leonard’s Life Today
107:41 – The Yiddish of Leonard’s Childhood, and His Thoughts on the Future of Yiddish
109:45 – Leonard’s Advice to Future Generations