In this episode of the Common Ground series, we're diving into unique rituals from around the world that honor both birth and death, which is something we all share.

We cover:

    •    Navajo First Laugh Ceremony – United States (American Southwest, Navajo Nation)

    •    Baek-il (100-day celebration) – South Korea

    •    Selapan Ceremony (35th day) – Indonesia (Javanese culture)

    •    Jatakarma (Samskara birth ritual) – India (Hindu communities)

    •    Newborn Singing Traditions – West Africa (e.g., Yoruba, Akan, Ewe, Fulani, etc.)

    •    Oríkì (praise poetry for babies) – Nigeria (Yoruba culture)

    •    Aqiqah (naming and sacrifice ceremony) – Islamic tradition

    •    Whenua (placenta burial) – New Zealand (Māori culture)

    •    Miyamairi (shrine visit) – Japan (Shinto tradition)

    •    Traditional Christian European Funerals — Europe

    •    Ghanaian Fantasy Coffins & Celebratory Funerals – Ghana (Ga culture, especially near Accra)

    •    Torajan “Death Feasts” & Body Preservation – Indonesia (Sulawesi, Toraja people)

    •    Pacific Islander Vigil & Communal Mourning – Various Pacific Islands

    •    Jewish Shiva & Chevra Kadisha with Tahara – Jewish communities globally

    •    Japanese Family Body Preparation – Japan

    •    Hindu Cremation (especially along the Ganges) – India

    •    Sky Burial & Miniature Yurt Graves – Mongolia & Himalayan Buddhist regions

    •    Obon Festival & Lantern Floating (Tōrō Nagashi) – Japan

    •    Famadihana (“Turning of the Bones”) – Madagascar

    •    Islamic Burial & 3-Day Mourning Visits – Many Muslim-majority countries (especially Arab nations)

    •    Chehelom (40th Day Mourning Ceremony) – Iran (blend of Islamic and Persian traditions)

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Today we’re stepping into a story that blends together the last few month’s topics (Syria, Food, Hospitality) with my guest, Yassin Terou.

Yassin Terou is a Syrian-born entrepreneur and American dream enthusiast, best known as the founder of Yassin’s Falafel House, a Knoxville-based restaurant celebrated for its welcoming spirit and message of inclusion. After arriving in the United States, Yassin built his business from humble beginnings into one of the most beloved restaurants in Tennessee. His restaurant was named “The Nicest Place in America” by Reader’s Digest and Good Morning America for its commitment to kindness and community. Yassin is passionate about using food to bring people together and create understanding across cultures. This passion also inspired him to start a nonprofit organization called Seeds and Bridges, which supports people in need and helps new entrepreneurs pursue their dreams—regardless of race, color, or beliefs. Through both his business and public speaking, Yassin continues to spread hope, compassion, and unity.

In our conversation, Yassin shares his journey out of Syria, and his process of starting over in a new country. We talk about immigrant challenges, food, advice he has for all people, and what he wishes more people understood about Syria and Syrians. It’s a story of courage, community, and the quiet power of hospitality. 

Support Yassin's nonprofit: Seeds and Bridges.

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Food may be the universal need, but hospitality is the universale virtue.

In the second episode of the Common Ground series, we're diving into how different cultures practice hospitality, and how there's much more in common than you might think.

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This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about other fantastic history and education-centric shows that are created for curious, thoughtful people. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

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No matter where you go in the world, everyone needs to eat, and preferably eat together. Eating together is one of our oldest human instincts.

In this first episode of the Common Ground series, we're diving into concepts of food and drink that are cultural universals—things we all share. We talk about grains, fermentation, earth cooking, hot drinks, and more!

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This is a personal analysis of takeaways I gained from studying Syria. It is meant to be listened to after completing the Syria 101 series (which is 5 parts).

Nonprofits mentioned in this episode:

SAMS

Karam Foundation

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I quote Wendy Pearlman from "⁠⁠The Home I Worked to Make⁠⁠" and Alia Malek from "⁠⁠The Home that was Our Country⁠⁠" in this episode.

This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about other fantastic history and education-centric shows that are created for curious, thoughtful people. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

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This is Part 5 of 5 of the Syria 101 series: a foundational history of Syria. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from 2012 to 2025, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers:

• How civilian protests for reform turned into a civil war
• What groups got involved and why (it was not a clear two-sided war)
• The rise of ISIS
• The internationalization of the war
• The Syrian refugee crisis
• The fall of Assad and the current transitional government

If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠. You can pay for it a la carte, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes.

This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about other fantastic history and education-centric shows that are created for curious, thoughtful people. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Sources used in the making of this episode.

Transcript for this episode.

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This is Part 4 of 5 of the Syria 101 series: a foundational history of Syria. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from 2000 to 2012, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers:

• How Bashar al-Assad gained power
• How corruption, crony capitalism, drought, and inequality led to unrest
• The Arab Spring and how it came to Syria
• How civilian protests for reform turned into a civil war
• Why extremist Islamist and Jihadist groups got involved
• How the civil war splintered into a multi-faceted war

If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠. You can pay for it a la carte, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes.

This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about other fantastic history and education-centric shows that are created for curious, thoughtful people. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Sources used in making this episode.

Transcript of this episode.

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This is Part 3 of 5 of the Syria 101 series: a foundational history of Syria. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from 1946 to 2000, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers:

• How Syria’s new democracy after independence quickly fell into instability
• Why the 1948 war with Israel shook Syria and triggered its first coup
• The cycle of military coups (1949–1963) and Cold War involvement
• The rise of Pan-Arabism and Ba’athism, including Syria’s union with Egypt
• How Hafez al-Assad seized power in 1970 and built an authoritarian state
• What daily life looked like under Assad — security, repression, minorities, economy, and foreign

If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to ⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠⁠. You can pay for it a la carte, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes.

This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn about other fantastic history and education-centric shows that are created for curious, thoughtful people. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Sources used in the making of this episode.

Transcript for this episode.

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This is Part 2 of 5 of the Syria 101 series: a foundational history of Syria. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from 1900 to 1946, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers:

• Why WWI cracked the Ottoman order in Greater Syria
• The Arab Revolt & the Hussein–McMahon letters (this includes "Lawrence of Arabia")
• The Sykes–Picot Agreement (the secret deal that carved up the region)
• What World War I was like in Syria
• The French Mandate: How the French ruled Syria and why it upset so many
• The road to independence (1920–1946)

If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to ⁠⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠⁠. You can pay for it a la carte, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes.

This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit ⁠⁠⁠airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn about other fantastic history and education-centric shows that are created for curious, thoughtful people. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Sources used in the making of this episode.

Transcript for this episode.

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This is Part 1 of 5 of the Syria 101 series. This episode is a concise, foundational history of Syria from ancient days to 1900, designed for those who know little to nothing about Syria's history, to set the stage for modern Syria. This episode covers:

• The difference between Ancient Syria, Greater Syria, and modern borders
• How geography (rivers, cities, trade routes) made Syria a crossroads of civilization
• The rise of Ebla, the Arameans, and the spread of Aramaic
• How empires from Rome to the Ottomans shaped Syrian culture and cities
• Why Syria was so religiously and ethnically diverse under Ottoman rule
• How Ottoman decline + European involvement + Arab nationalism set the stage for modern Syria

If you'd like a downloadable PDF with a timeline/outline of this episode, go to ⁠Patreon.com/wiserworldpodcast⁠. You can pay for it a la carte for $3, or sign up to be a $5 or $10 Patreon supporter and receive the PDF, more resources, and ad-free episodes for all Wiser World episodes.

This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit ⁠⁠airwavemedia.com⁠⁠ to learn about other fantastic history and education-centric shows that are created for curious, thoughtful people. Please contact ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

Sources used in the making of this episode.

Transcript for this episode.

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Song credit: "Heart of Indonesia" by mjmusics 

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In this Know Before You Go episode, we cover a basic history of the Netherlands, talking about history, culture, economics, politics, geography, and so on.

This episode is sponsored by Quince. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠quince.com/wiserworld⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

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The transcript for this episode is found here.

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This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit ⁠⁠⁠airwavemedia.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn about other fantastic history and education-centric shows that are created for curious, thoughtful people. Please contact ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast.

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