History Episodes
Shmooze with Mike Simmons: Big Impact Astronomy
This page includes, Summary, Questions Asked, Main Points, Timeline, and Trasncript. Scroll down to find what you seek. Episode Summary 🌠 Stargazing meets social change in this eye-opening episode! Mike Simmons, founder of Astronomers 4 Equity and creator of the upcoming “Big Impact Astronomy” podcast, takes us on a celestial journey from Iran to Ukraine.…
Shmooze with Deana Weibel: Anthropology of Religion in Space & The Ultraview Effect
In this fascinating episode of Space Midrash, host Jacob Sager sits down with Deana Weibel, a distinguished professor and anthropologist of religion. They explore the intersection of faith, anthropology, and human spaceflight. 🚀✨ Deana shares her unique insights on how religion adapts to the challenges and opportunities of space exploration, revealing the unexpected item she…
17: Jewish Civilization and the Overview Effect
In this episode Jacob reviews Frank White’s philosophy from his book “The Overview Effect,” and how this phenomena/effect can be positively embraced by a forward-thinking Jewish Civilization. Transcript: You are listening to space midrash. I am your host, Jacob Sager. I believe in an artful, ethical and inclusive humanity thriving amongst the cosmos. We are…
16: Interstellar Jewish Geography
Jewish people who have lived are immortalized not just by streets and libraries on earth but on objects and landscapes in space that may or may not ever experience human occupation. If you’ve played Jewish geography with friends or feel a joyful affinity when learning that a historic figure such as scientist is Jewish then…
14: Jewish Objects Brought to Space
Many Jewish objects have crossed the Karmen line into space – religious, cultural, and personally meaningful items. This episode is a quick overview of those items.
13: Two Torahs on Columbia
the Space Shuttle Columbia was the first to carry passengers. Across 22 years, it spent more than 300 days in Orbit. Among it’s payloads were two different Torahs. One at the beginning of it’s saga and the other, tragically at the end. This episode chronicles the Torahs brought aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia by Jeffrey…
12: The New Jewish Astronauts
Before the inaugural Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic flights, there had been 16 Jewish astronauts, all professional. Since last year, 3 more Jews have ventured into space. These new Jewish Astronauts embody the intersection of Jewish and Space Age values. This Episode briefly recaps the missions of Jared Issacman (SpaceX), William Shatner (Blue Origin), and…
9: Anti-Semitism in Outer Space
AntiSemitism has already occurred with the space age. Is it a joke or are there real consequences?
6: Remembering Fallen Jewish Astronauts
Among the 16 early Jewish astronauts, 2 died in the respective Shuttle disasters. This episode recalls the missions of the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia as well as the lives and accomplishments of fallen Jewish crew members Judith Resnick and Ilan Ramon.
Ep. 2: Which Astronauts are Jewish?
Eventually you’ll call them the early Jewish astronauts. In this episode Jacob discusses the first 16 Jewish Astronauts and the Jewish objects they brought into space. In his opening monologue, he probes why there’s a higher percentage of Jewish astronauts than Jews from the general population as well as confront the misconception that there were…
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connecting Jewish People and Communities to Space.
Space /spās/ – the awe-filled cosmos that is begging us to come and know it, and be greater through it.
Midrash /ˈmidˌräSH/ – a Jewish process of providing contemporary commentary through storytelling.