When “Star Trek” premiered on September 8, 1966, no one associated with the show could have imagined its cultural impact, or that more than 50 years later it would become the subject of a travelling museum exhibition, “Star Trek: Exploring New Worlds,” organized by Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) and currently at the Skirball Center through February 20, 2022 (a year after it was originally scheduled, proving that not even deep space could escape COVID). After all, the original series, following the adventures of the starship Enterprise, couldn’t even last the five-year mission referenced in the show’s introduction, airing for only three seasons, the third season ordered only after NBC received over 100,000 letters demanding its renewal. Since then, there have been 23 “Star Trek” movies and TV shows, not to mention the many “Star Trek”-themed books, games, and toys.
But why is the exhibit at the Skirball? Is there a Jewish community in Stardate 3125? While the actors William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy (the original Kirk and Spock, respectively) were both Jewish, it’s not like you see mezuzahs on the Enterprise’s doorways. The Skirball’s Laura Mart, managing curator of the exhibit, told the Journal the exhibit “really focuses on themes that have very strong connections to the Skirball’s mission and values.” Those themes, she said, are “optimism, heroism, equality and humanity, and the way that they intersect with aspects of our mission that focus on fostering human connections, celebrating hope and discovery, building a more just society, equality.” Those are also, she said, why ”Star Trek has been such an enduring and beloved part of pop culture,” with a “message of optimism and inclusion that has spoken to fans of all backgrounds across generations.”
‘Across time, Jews have often been outsiders, felt like outsiders, so looking at a show where beings from around the galaxy, insider or outsider, work together is appealing.’
— Laura Mart, Skirball Center
For Mart, the Enterprise’s diverse crew, with humans and aliens working and living beside each other, had a resonance for Jewish audiences. “Across time, Jews have often been outsiders, felt like outsiders,” she said. “So looking at a show where beings from around the galaxy, insider or outsider, work together is appealing.”
Mart points to the character of Spock, the Enterprise’s half Vulcan-half Human first officer, as one Jews could empathize with. “He has that perspective of being from a different culture and having different values and cultural practices, and he’s a very valuable part of the crew.” One of Spock’s signature moments, the greeting “live long and prosper” and the split fingered salute—a gesture so iconic, it was turned into an emoji—was informed by a memory of Nimoy’s youth. It’s the Birkit Kohanim, or priestly blessing. When the producers were trying to figure out how a Vulcan would greet another Vulcan, Mart said, Nimoy “decided it was going to be a hand thing, and he was thinking about his own experience going to synagogue as a child, and he had a memory of seeing the Kohan perform this gesture. You’re not supposed to look, but being a curious child, he peaked from out under the tallis and he saw the gesture, and it really stuck with him.”
Brooks Peck, who curated the show for MoPOP, agreed that “Star Trek’s” optimism is one of the reasons for the show’s continued popularity. “I think people are literally inspired by that world view,” he told the Journal. It’s just a place people wanna go, it’s a place people wanna live, because it’s a place that values everybody in it, and it encourages you to be your best.”
The exhibit, which originated at the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) in Seattle, Washington, is a lovingly presented collection of costumes, props, sets, various starships from all of “Star Trek’s” iterations. Highlights include phasers, tricorders, communicators, a massive model of the Enterprise (from the collection of Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen) and an exquisitely detailed model of the Borg. There are also Tribbles. Many Tribbles. The puffy, gentle and speedily reproducing Tribbles are secreted throughout the exhibition, including inside the Jefferies Tube, the Enterprise’s narrow passageways (named after Matt Jefferies, the original series’ set designer) that visitors are able to walk through. Other interactive exhibits include a series of wheels that allow you to create your own Star Trek plot and a chance to transport yourself into a scene from the show. MoPOP’s Peck thinks the holy grail of the exhibition is Captain Kirk’s original command chair. It’s the first thing you see at the exhibit’s entrance, and visitors are encouraged to sit in it and have their picture taken.
Just be sure to thank the person taking you picture by telling them to “lebn lang aun blyendik.”
