“Live Long and Prosper.”
– Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock in Star Trek
I have always loved to photograph hands. Outside of the face, hands convey so much thought and expression. Hello. Goodbye. Come here. Go away. Stop. Go. Love. Hate. Prayer. Compassion.
While exploring a local Jewish cemetery, I came across a carving of hands that intrigued me from the start.
What I was looking at are Cohen or Kohen hands. Hebrew priests, or Kohanim, would raise their hands in this manner while giving a blessing.
Did you notice something familiar? The resemblance between these and Mr. Spock’s Vulcan salute is unmistakable.
Leonard Nimoy who portrayed Spock was raised in the Jewish faith. He would see the Kohen hands in a synagogue as a child. Years later, he adopted the symbol for an episode of Star Trek where Spock returns home to the planet Vulcan.
You can find more information about Leonard Nimoy and the Kohen hands here:
As mentioned earlier, hands silently speak
volumes, and I am always on the lookout for their story.
The hand resting on the pages of this book, perhaps a bible, is one example.
I found this hand at Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, NY. It reminds me of longing for someone who is not here.
How does it speak to you?
Sometimes I find a carving of clasped hands. Although the faded words above the hands read “farewell,” this symbolism is often interpreted as one person being greeted by another in the afterlife, such as husband to wife.
Lois. Gone but not forgotten.
I fell in love with this headstone the first time I saw it in a cemetery in Marcellus, NY.
It is clean and simple in presentation. The hand releasing a dove. The soul flying upwards to heaven.
Then, there is Leora A.
I found her in the same cemetery as Lois.
A hand with a finger pointing upwards.
She departed this world at the young age of twenty-seven.
The following photograph says it all for this individual.
For any of you that haven’t ventured into the world of cemeteries, I encourage you to take the trip. There is art and history. Beauty and emotion. It can be addicting.
Many of the Victorian era cemeteries were designed with rolling hills and specimen trees to double as parks where families could visit their loved ones and enjoy an afternoon of picnicking.
Why don't you pack a lunch and join me? How many of you are ready to go?
Raise your hand.
Photographs taken by Christine Shephard and all written copy may not be used in any other format or publication without express written permission.
– Photograph of Leonard Nimoy referenced from beforeitsnews.com
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