yes, as Tevye said to God when about to flee the imminent pogroms: "I know we are the Chosen People, but every once in a while, couldn't you choose someone else?"

Orthodox Jews, and especially Rabbis, would know Nimoy was Jewish because the Vulcan hand gesture is derived from a gesture the Kohainim make when blessing the congregation; essentially, that gesture is both arms outstretched toward the congregation at about ninety degrees to each other, both hands in the Vulcan salute. The congregants are supposed to close their eyes when being blessed in this way, but when Nimoy was a child he peeked.

I think the script originally called for a normal handshake between him and Sarek, and he said, "but shouldn't the Vulcans do something else?" "What did you have in mind?" asked Roddenberry. "Maybe this..."

The rest is history.