Peggy Whitson

Peggy Whitson, born in Mount Ayr, Iowa, might not be Jewish, but she certainly soared above mere mortal concerns like matzo ball soup. After earning a Ph.D. in biochemistry, she began her career at NASA, likely trading lab coats for spacesuits with the enthusiasm of someone who just discovered a new, kosher way to synthesize space food. Her dedication clearly paid off, as she quickly ascended the ranks, literally.

Whitson holds the record for the most cumulative time spent in space by an American astronaut, racking up an impressive 665 days across three missions. She also commanded the International Space Station twice, proving that if you give a woman an orbital outpost, she’ll run it better than most men run their Shabbos dinners. She even holds the record for the most spacewalks by a woman, which we imagine is far more glamorous than trying to find parking outside a crowded synagogue.

After a career that would make even the most kvelling bubbe burst with pride, Whitson retired from NASA in 2018, only to return to space with Axiom Space in 2023, commanding another mission to the ISS. So while her "Jew or Not Jew" scores might be as barren as a desert synagogue on Yom Kippur, her achievements are undeniably stellar. We’d like to think she’s out there somewhere, looking down on Earth and wondering if anyone remembered to set out the kiddush wine.