Sometimes we forget what miraculous times we live in. Recently, I was reminded of this when I saw an image of four people wearing Santa hats, building a snowman, and decorating a Christmas tree. What made it miraculous was that these four people were NASA astronauts, and the holiday celebration took place aboard the International Space Station. A similar celebration took place last year, when NASA astronaut (and Long Islander!) Jasmin Moghbeli wished everyone a happy Hanukkah, with a felt menorah made by her young twin daughters taped to the window of the space station, overlooking our big blue planet Earth. And then, she spun a dreidel in zero gravity! It spun. And spun. And spun. And spun! As the holder of the Major League Dreidel record for longest spin in official competition, I have to say, I was very impressed with her technique!
To me, both of these holiday celebrations in space are connected to an essential, if often overlooked aspect of the miracle of Hanukkah. We often speak of the Hanukkah miracle in terms of the triumph of light over darkness. Or the few against the powerful. But more than anything, the Hanukkah story is a celebration of that most Jewish of miracles – endurance. Let’s return to this year’s holiday celebration aboard the ISS. Two of the astronauts who participated were Sunita “Suni” Williams and Barry “Butch” Wilmore. When they journeyed to the ISS in June, their visit was only supposed to last eight days (sound familiar?). Instead, due to a steady stream of mechanical issues with their Boeing Starliner, by the time they (hopefully!) return to Earth in March 2025, Williams and Wilmore will have been in space for over two hundred consecutive days. And yet they are not only surviving, but thriving! How? Preparation, perseverance, and purpose.
These astronauts are highly-trained for the rigors (both expected and unexpected) of living in space. It also helps that additional space flights have been able to keep the ISS full of supplies (food, science equipment, and holiday decorations!). Not to mention additional astronauts, who will also return in March with Williams and Wilmore. But what has kept these intrepid travelers not only alive but engaged has been their sense of purpose, which has never wavered. “I love everything about being up here,” Williams said. And indeed, they have aided in more than 60 scientific experiments during their many extra months aboard the ISS!
And what about the story of Jasmin Moghbeli? She is not just a talented dreidel spinner. A graduate of Baldwin Senior High School, Moghbeli holds a degree in aerospace engineering from MIT, and as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy has flown over 150 combat missions in Afghanistan. She was Commander of her Space X Crew-7 mission to the ISS, and may someday be the first woman to walk on the moon. But her journey back on Earth is even more remarkable than the miles she’s logged in combat or in space. Her parents grew up in Iran, and fled to Germany as refugees from Tehran after the Ayatollah’s revolution in 1979. Born in Germany as Shiite Muslims, but raised Lutheran, Jasmin and her older brother came to America with their parents as Persian refugees, thanks to the Tolstoy Foundation, a refugee resettlement foundation that Jasmin’s father worked for. In America Jasmin met Sam Wald, a Jew from San Antonio, and together they are raising two Jewish girls, while also honoring Jasmin’s heritage as well.
As I watch the video of Jasmin’s spinning dreidel, I am thankful that as long as our people maintain their sense of preparation, perseverance and purpose, we will continue to enjoy the miracle of endurance.
Wishing you all strength, joy, and endurance into 2025 and beyond,
Cantor Eric
