Star Trek and the Jews – Details, episodes & analysis

A reflection on two years using Trek to boldly explore the worlds of Jews and Judaism. Joined by the one and only Dr. Adam Sniderman, we look back at what we've learned, consider favourite moments, and weigh our show against the goals and expectations we had at the start of the series. We think about how Trek and the Jewish world have each changed over the past two years--a period which encompasses most of the "New Trek" era and the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic to date--and what that means for us going forward. We also discuss TOS The Corbomite Maneuver, and what it means to be "authentically Star Trek".

The closing music is arranged and produced by Adam Sniderman, with performance from cantorial soloist Lindi Rivers, based on the Star Trek VI Suite by Cliff Eidelman, Theme From Star Trek by Alexander Courage, and traditional Jewish liturgy.

This episode ends season 2 of 'Star Trek and the Jews'.

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HSHW: TOS The Corbomite Maneuver (1x10)

An exploration of oral traditions in Judaism and Star Trek with two very different interviews.

Xava De Cordova, Torah scholar and co-host of the queer Talmud podcast Xai, How Are You, joins to teach about study of the Jewish oral tradition, and what it means to find and transmit new and changing meanings within an ancient text.

"Dr. Trek" Larry Nemecek is the modern keeper of Star Trek's oral history: a writer and archivist dedicated to preserving the stories of the making of Star Trek. Author of the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion and many other reference works, Larry's current project, The Trek Files, uses never-before-seen primary documents from the personal archives of Gene Roddenberry and first-hand accounts to dive into the history of Star Trek.

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HSHW: TNG The Inner Light (5x25)

'Canon'--the body of work designated as genuine, sanctioned, important or official--is a concept that intersects fandoms and religions. In this episode, we discuss all things canon including: Star Trek's nebulous official and unofficial approaches to a canon; the historical formation the Jewish canon; challenges to the Western literary canon and the relationship between those critiques and problematic parts of Star Trek; and the in-universe approach that Trek characters have to religious canons. Reb Alert guests Lex Rofeberg of the podcast Judaism Unbound, talking about the limits and challenges of a canon, new approaches to a Jewish canon, and the relationship between canons and power.

HSHW: ENT Awakening; DSC New Eden

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Discovery season 3's Jewish themes and ideas. The crew of Discovery find themselves in a galaxy where the institutions they relied on are shattered, and where collective memory and the values of the Federation are under great threat. Rabbi Dov Linzer, President and Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshivat Chovevei Torah, joins us to talk about how Jews and Judaism adapted to the crisis of the destruction of the Second Temple. Plus, Discovery cast member and lifelong Star Trek fan Noah Averbach-Katz on playing Ryn the Andorian.

HSHW: DSC That Hope Is You, Part 1; DSC Forget Me Not; DSC Unification III

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2021 Listener survey: https://forms.gle/tDy4TXwLw7dANZ4f6

What might possibly link a scroll, written on goatskin, found in the Judean Mountains 2,000 years after its composition with an astronaut whose space shuttle disintegrated during its return to Earth? On the 18th anniversary of the Columbia Disaster and the yahrzeit of Ilan Ramon, we pause from our regular programming to hear a story of time, space and courage that links the 1st century to the 21st century. A special presentation with Rav Baruch Frydman-Kohl.

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Join us for our upcoming virtual live show at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, February 24 @ 7pm Eastern: https://jewishmuseummd.org/events/a-child-of-two-worlds-nimoy-spock-and-the-jewishness-of-star-trek/

Environmentalism, Star Trek and Judaism discussed in celebration of the upcoming holiday of Tu BiShvat. We're looking at ways Trek has depicted environmental issues and the environmental movement. Approaching ancient and modern sources, we try to understand a Jewish response to the environmental crisis of our time. Also, Josh ruins Star Trek 4 (the one with the whales!). Reb Alert guest Annamie Paul, leader of the Green Party of Canada.

HSHW: TNG Force of Nature; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

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Join us for our upcoming virtual live show at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, February 24 @ 7pm Eastern: https://jewishmuseummd.org/events/a-child-of-two-worlds-nimoy-spock-and-the-jewishness-of-star-trek/

Jewish themes and ideas in Lower Decks season 1. Hava and Josh examine ways Star Trek and Judaism approach the separation of labour time from leisure time, a divide which feels threatened in our era. Guest Tiffany Shlain, author of 24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week, joins us to chat about 'tech Shabbat', giving up screens one day to gain time, productivity, connection and presence. We explore Jewish approaches to spiritual ascension, including the esoteric tradition of merkabah mysticism, and contrast it with the journey of Lt. O'Connor. Finally, we look to the bold parable of the season finale, drawing parallels between today's rising antisemitism and resurgent fascism, and Mariner's critique of a Starfleet that's "good at observing, bad at maintaining."

HSHW: LD Temporal Edict; LD Moist Vessel; LD No Small Parts.

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Join us for our upcoming virtual live show at the Jewish Museum of Maryland, February 24 @ 7pm Eastern: https://jewishmuseummd.org/events/a-child-of-two-worlds-nimoy-spock-and-the-jewishness-of-star-trek/

"Duet" is perhaps the most thought-provoking episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It is a chilling quest for justice in the aftermath of genocide, examining the nature of guilt and complicity. In this episode, we are talking about the Holocaust, and to avoid abstraction, we start by talking about the experiences of our own families. Duet has eerie parallels to the trial of Oskar Gröning, a former SS officer who was arrested at the age of 93 and charged with 300,000 counts of accessory to murder for his role as a cog operating the machine of death that was Auschwitz. We welcome Matthew Shoychet, director of the critically-acclaimed documentary The Accountant of Auschwitz (Netflix | CBC Gem) which examines all angles on the ethics of Gröning trial and its broader implications for the pursuit of justice. This episode asks hard questions about the nature of trauma and who has the right to forgive.

HSHW: DS9 Duet; The Accountant of Auschwitz.

This month we're talking about gender in Judaism and Star Trek. We look at episodes where Trek and has tried (and usually failed) to have a conversation about gender and sexuality, and episodes where Trek maybe isn't trying to say anything about gender and sexuality at all, but we hear it anyway. We explore Jewish approaches, including our obligation to uncover parts of the Jewish tradition that have been occluded from traditional narratives. Plus we chat about Torah and Star Trek with Rabbi Andrea Myers, who serves queer Jewish communities in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. Rabbi Andrea is a spiritual counsellor at the All of You Wellness Centre, and they are the author of The Choosing: A Rabbi’s Journey from Silent Nights to High Holy Days.

HSHW: TNG The Outcast; DS9 Facets; ENT Cogenitor.

One last thing... we are cognizant of being two cis het podcasters talking about queer issues. One of the goals of our show is to bring in voices and texts that reflect the immensely diverse reality of the Jewish world. We welcome feedback to StarTrekAndTheJews@gmail.com or @StarJews.

Shana tova! As we approach Yom Kippur, this bonus episode looks back at our interview with Rabbi Steve Wernick of Beth Tzedec Congregation. We talk about Jewish ideas of wrongdoing, repentance, community, and the season 4 Star Trek: Voyager episode "Day of Honor".

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Attributions: Opening: 8-bit adaptation of Avinu Malkeinu by Benjamin Alembik, part of the Hag Sameah Remixes project. Used with permission. // Shofar blowing by Sarit Silverman of Temple Israel of Westport, Connecticut.