Rating: 
Summary: Beautiful work
Review: ... this is a beautiful book. It celebrates the sensual and spiritual without the predictable "the body is evil" ethos that is so sadly common in the Jewish and Christian religions.The body is beautiful, reflective of the beauty of its Creator (if you believe in one), and of the beauty of nature. Leonard Nimoy proves himself to be a suprisingly skilled photographer in capturing the beauty. Nimoy, for so long defined by his portrayal of a fictional character in a television and film series, has shown a different, and appealing, side of himself in this work. Highly, highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: USING WOMEN'S BODIES TO SELL
Review: An open letter to Leonard Nimoy
DEAR LENNY,
LENNY, YOUR BOOK WILL SELL BECAUSE OF ITS ARTISTIC SHOCK VALUE...HAD YOUR PERFECT MODELS HAD THEIR CLOTHES ON, YOU MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE A REAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEBATE ON WOMEN'S RELIGIOUS EXPRESSION. USING WOMEN'S BODIES TO SELL THINGS IS PRETTY COMMON...YOU'VE JOINED THE CLUB.
bruce birnberg
Rating:
Summary: unafraid of the "taste" police
Review: Any time an artist mixes things sacred and what convention considers "profane" the taste police rear their ugly heads. Mr. Nimoy does some fine photographic work and in the context of what he's trying to explore, his work does indeed demonstrate a lack of fear mixed with awe in an attempt to see spiritual concepts in new physical ways. It's a great start and more artists need to do similar explorations into revisioning sacred notions and concepts. For the taste police, give it up, this is the 21st century already not the 19th.
Rating: 
Summary: Reference to spiritual concepts ...
Review: As a first work of photography, Nimoy's Shekhina has wonderful depth in his effort to portray the feminine presence of God known to students of the Kabbalah for centuries -- possibly too understated for those without exposure to the subject matter in the background. The pictures have a serene mood that stirs slightly with poses that suggest movement and femininity without any hint of certain sexuality -- because this is a celebration of the life more so that physicality. The representation of the universal spiritual theme is without pretension. Similar to Anne Geddes' recent work called Pure.
Rating:
Summary: A Shock from Spock
Review: As a former fan of Dr. Spock both for his role in Star Trek and for Leonard Nemoy as a Jew inspired by his faith, I am shocked by this wanton effort to revive his popularity. Just a few years ago Leonard Nemoy began to make his mark on the Jewish community by returning to his ancestral heritage. It seemded like an awakening. Leonard Nemoy went from being Dr. Spock of Star Trek, to a Jewish philosopher. Partly due to his background and partly to his showbiz acumen, he became popular with Jewish educational causes, narrated tapes and videos, and wrote inspirational articles. His name evoked the idea of the modern Jew who had "made it" but was "coming back". He became a source of encouragement to many seekers of Jewish tradition. Perhaps this is why I automatically ordered his new book - (before I saw the cover.) It's a big dissapointment. No, a huge one. In his book he denigrates the values of millions of traditonal Jews for whom the wearing of religious items like Tefillin is accompanied with a premium value for modesty. No religiously observant Jewish male (let alone a woman,) would ever pray wear religious articles like Tefillin while thus scantily clothed, let alone naked. In his bastardization of his knowledge of Jewish values, Nemoy makes a mockery of the Jewish tradition of his forefathers who are themselves orthodox Jews. And takes advantage of those who respected his sincerity and were inspired by it. This book reflects a man who at the age of 71 is acting like a teen upstart rebel, seeking to assert his importance and grasping for attention, rather than seeking higher values, and a deeper meaning in life as would be expected of a thinker growing in maturity. As far as a morally challengen male readership, the book is short on lechery. And I fail to grasp which feminine audience he is reaching out to; the Shechina herself, G-d presence, will certainly flee from it, tradional women will see it a sacrilage, maybe, just maybe, some motorcycle babes who are into strapping black leather.... Noone honestly seeking spiritual enlighnment will bother with this piece from Nemoy. It is not even worth putting in the Geniza. Awful choice for Dr. Spock.
Rating: 
Summary: women in the light
Review: Ever been to a Jewel Kilcher concert? She's like an angel, everything pure and full of love, but so human. She's a real life example of everything Nimoy is trying to convey in this book. Angels among us, or the ideal force of a feminine divinity, spreading light and goodness only if we are sensitive to her presence. Women are elevated to share the spotlight with male divinity in Judaica, ecstatic angels, eyes closed to greet the light. There's been a lot of fuss about the mix of religion and sensuality in this book, but half of the pictures don't even have anything revealing in them. What is visible in the other half is presented in the classiest way possible. These women are not presented as objects of our material posession, but as a physical representation of spiritual beauty. Some of the women glow from within, or are blurred into the ethereal. Most dramatic, in my opinion, are what he describes as a "spiritual pregnancy" and "spiritual birth" -- glowing light from within a woman's dress and then being born from her womb. The text, also, has interesting and beautiful concepts in it. It may not be for everyone, but if you don't like it, don't look at it :-) That's what he said, anyway.
Rating:
Summary: The Shekhina is not a goddess!
Review: Fans of avant-garde photography and soft porn will no doubt love this book, but I found it offensive. No religious Jew, man or woman, would pray in a tallis and tefillin while so scantily clad.
These may be the fantasies of an old man going through his second puberty, but they are not the kinds of images that I would want in my kosher home. There are ways to portray the beauty of Jewish women without the goyishkeit of stripping their clothes off. The book is doubly disappointing because some of Nimoy's past projects have included narrating NPR concerts of High Holy Days music and PBS's excellent video on Hasidic Judaism ("A Life Apart: Hasidim in America"), portraying a Holocaust survivor as well as Tevye, plus many other performances that gave him a patina of authenticity where Judaism is concerned. Even in Star Trek, he brought his Jewishness along in creating the "Vulcan salute" and much of Vulcan culture in general. Because of this background, his fans will now be misled into thinking that this book portrays something authentically Jewish. It does not! I am deeply disappointed that Mr. Nimoy fell for the neo-pagan myth of the Shekhinah as a personified "goddess." Ever since Raphael Patai published that awful book called "The Hebrew Goddess" back in the 70s, which claimed that the Caananite idols were once part of Judaism, this canard has continues to circulate in the gentile world. In real Judaism, the Shekhinah is not a goddess, it is the indwelling presence of God. It's the "spirit of holiness within" all things in God's creation -- more analagous to the "Holy Spirit" than to a goddess. It is a feminine ASPECT of God, yes. But to personify it with photos of women is a form of idolatry that has no place in Judaism. The popular misconception of Shekhinah as a woman comes from the fact that the word is GRAMMATICALLY feminine in Hebrew. So are the words for "soul," "Torah," "prayer" and a lot of other things, because EVERY noun in Hebrew is either masculine or feminine, the same as Spanish or French. There is no neuter pronoun in Hebrew. But, when Hebrew is translated into English, the he/she pronouns become "it" instead. Granted, this does eliminate much of the male-female imagery in the Torah. But Nimoy's book is not the way to reclaim the feminine symbolism. Had he called it something else and left out the Jewish references, it might have passed as an artistic study of the female form (he is a good photographer.) As it is, the book is a neo-pagan travesty. What a sad exit for the great actor and writer who gave us the complex (and very modest) character of Mr. Spock.
Rating:
Summary: The Shekhina is not a goddess!
Review: Fans of avant-garde photography and soft porn will no doubt love this book, but I found it offensive. No religious Jew, man or woman, would pray in a tallis and tefillin while so scantily clad.
These may be the fantasies of an old man going through his second puberty, but they are not the kinds of images that I would want in my kosher home. There are ways to portray the beauty of Jewish women without the goyishkeit of stripping their clothes off. The book is doubly disappointing because some of Nimoy's past projects have included narrating NPR concerts of High Holy Days music and PBS's excellent video on Hasidic Judaism ("A Life Apart: Hasidim in America"), portraying a Holocaust survivor as well as Tevye, plus many other performances that gave him a patina of authenticity where Judaism is concerned. Even in Star Trek, he brought his Jewishness along in creating the "Vulcan salute" and much of Vulcan culture in general. Because of this background, his fans will now be misled into thinking that this book portrays something authentically Jewish. It does not! I am deeply disappointed that Mr. Nimoy fell for the neo-pagan myth of the Shekhinah as a personified "goddess." Ever since Raphael Patai published that awful book called "The Hebrew Goddess" back in the 70s, which claimed that the Caananite idols were once part of Judaism, this canard has continues to circulate in the gentile world. In real Judaism, the Shekhinah is not a goddess, it is the indwelling presence of God. It's the "spirit of holiness within" all things in God's creation -- more analagous to the "Holy Spirit" than to a goddess. It is a feminine ASPECT of God, yes. But to personify it with photos of women is a form of idolatry that has no place in Judaism. The popular misconception of Shekhinah as a woman comes from the fact that the word is GRAMMATICALLY feminine in Hebrew. So are the words for "soul," "Torah," "prayer" and a lot of other things, because EVERY noun in Hebrew is either masculine or feminine, the same as Spanish or French. There is no neuter pronoun in Hebrew. But, when Hebrew is translated into English, the he/she pronouns become "it" instead. Granted, this does eliminate much of the male-female imagery in the Torah. But Nimoy's book is not the way to reclaim the feminine symbolism. Had he called it something else and left out the Jewish references, it might have passed as an artistic study of the female form (he is a good photographer.) As it is, the book is a neo-pagan travesty. What a sad exit for the great actor and writer who gave us the complex (and very modest) character of Mr. Spock.
Rating:
Summary: Strangely, a much-needed portrayal of Jewish women
Review: I can understand how the religious would be offended by this work; it's got all the ingredients that would offend religious people. But - but but but - I also have this to say. As a Jewish woman, I'm tired of turning on the TV or going to a film and seeing negative portrayals of Jewish women. In film, actors like Ben Stiller are routinely - and almost exclusively - paired with blond, WASP leading ladies. This sends the wrong message. It makes Jewish women feel bad about themselves, and gives Jewish men the message that something is wrong with Jewish women. Nimoy's work will not seem "Kosher" to many. However, my immediate, gut emotional response - was to seeing an attractive, sensual portrayal of a Jewish woman on the cover, even if it was somewhat "immodest". Does this represent me as a Jewish woman? I sure hope so! Does Fran Drescher? Absolutely NOT. THANK YOU, Mr Nimoy, for a much-needed celebration of Jewish femininity.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting if muddled message
Review: I had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Nimoy in New York speak at length about his book of photography. As I listened to him, it became clear what a personal spiritual quest this process is for him, and that he has a deep passion for the power of photographic images. This book follows on his previous work, tracing all the way back to Star Trek and the mystery of "Vulcanism." Essentially though, it seems to me to be a study of women in the nude, given a theme that fits in with Nimoy's admittedly loose association with Judaic tenets. There is no doubt great fascination that lies in the female/goddess relationship as explored in this book, but I just felt that this concept "framed" the work more than drove it. All things being equal, the photographs are very good and many thought-provoking. But then again, some, particularly towards the end, seemed self-conciously provocative. Once again, the Shekhina message is a loose one, ultimately serving Nimoy's personal views on sensuality. Nothing wrong with that! Leonard Nimoy is a fascinating man with a probing mind, who sometimes outdoes himself in his unique mix of sentimentality and arrogance, and this book captures all of these things. But isn't that what we love him for? Keep up the great work Mr. Nimoy.
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