January 17, 2003

Israel's astronaut carries nation's dreams

As poster boys for the Israel Space Agency go, it does not come much better than Colonel Ilan Ramon.

As the son of an Auschwitz survivor, who grew up to become a fighter pilot in the Israeli air force and fought in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War - his personal history is intertwined with that of his nation.

When he blasts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida Ramon will become the first Israeli in space and make Israel the 30th nation to have a citizen fly in orbit.

His flight has become a welcome distraction for Israelis troubled by the ongoing violence in the Middle East and a source of national pride.
[...]"As an Israeli and a Jew I asked Nasa if it would be possible to supply kosher food for my menu in space," Ramon said.

"I was surprised and overwhelmed with the effort Nasa put in to trying to accommodate my request," he added.

Among the few personal possessions he will take with him on his 16-day voyage will be mezuzahs - small cases that are hung on door frames of Jewish homes and contain inscriptions from the Bible.

He is also taking a book of Psalms which was given to him by Israel's President Moshe Katsav - the microfiche of the Bible is the size of a credit card.

But probably of greatest resonance is a picture drawn by a 14-year-old Jewish boy name Peter Ginz before he was killed in Auschwitz in 1944.
[...]
The pencil drawing, entitled Moon Landscape, shows a view of the earth from the surface of the moon, as imagined by the boy.

Caption: "Moon Landscape" by Petr Ginz, 1944

[...]
"I was born in Israel and I'm kind of the proof for my parents and their generation that whatever we've been fighting for in the last century is becoming true.,"[Ramon said.]
[...]
As a representative of the Jewish nation Ramon did face one difficulty though - how to mark the Sabbath in space when a sunset and sunrise occurs every 90 minutes?

Time permitting, Ramon says he wants to observe the Jewish day of rest as "an act of solidarity with the Jewish tradition".

What a wonderful thing for Jews and Israelis this is!
Mazeltov, Mr. Ramon, and have a safe trip!
It must feel "out of this world" to be born up to Heaven, not only by American NASA technology but by the joyous souls of over 6 million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust and of the 6 million men, women and children now living in Israel.
All in all, it's a great day for the race-- the human race!
[Aside: They now need to remake the comedy "Spaceballs" and instead of Jews in space, lampoon Islamists in space. Mel Brooks, call your studio!]
Update: Ramon, interestingly enough, also flew the Israeli Air Force mission in 1981 that took out the Osirik nuclear reactor in Iraq...Good work then and now!
Picture link from the Yad Vashem site thanks to LittleGreenFootballs.