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........

© The Times of Israel