Reciting Itzik Manger’s Poem, “Afn Veg Shteyt a Boym (By the Road Stands a Tree)”

In this excerpt from our short film, "Leonard Nimoy’s Mameloshn: A Yiddish Story," Leonard Nimoy–Jewish actor most well-known for his role as Spock on the Star Trek science fiction series–recalls Itzik Manger’s poem, “Afn Veg Shteyt a Boym (By the Road Stands a Tree),” about the relationship between a mother and son. In the clip, which is intercut with a recording of Manger himself reciting the poem, from the Yiddish Book Center’s Frances Brandt Online Yiddish Audio Library, Nimoy connects the poem to his own experience of leaving home to pursue acting. To see the full interview and learn more about the Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project, visit: https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/col...