🥳 Celebrating Rosh Hashanah & Hispanic Heritage Month
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The Ten News: Season 4, Episode 5
Today on The Ten News: 🕍 Rosh Hashanah begins tomorrow at sundown so we brought in Jewish educator, Miriam Kanani, to tell us all about the holiday and the others that follow! 🌕 It's almost spooky season, Ten'ers. Let's learn about the Fall Equinox & everything that comes along with it on September 23rd. 🗓️ Did you know that Hispanic Heritage Month also starts tomorrow?! Find out why it begins in the middle of the month instead of the first. 🤔 And, on the trivia throne: what is the difference between the terms Latino & Hispanic?
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TRANSCRIPT:
00:00 PAM: Good morning Chad! Morning Tracy!
CHAD/KAP: Good morning Pamela! Morning Pam!
PAM: Hey Ryan! Ryan? Where’s Ryan–
RYAN: Hello Pamela. If you’re listening to this recording, it means I’m out sick today. I’m pretty sure I have a cold–
PAM: –yeah his voice sounds pretty gnarly.
RYAN: –And Kap told me I should stay home and play video games, all day and night.
KAP: Ryan added the video game part.
RYAN: Kap will take over any of my responsibilities. But I’ve hidden recordings all around the studio, because I’m sure you’ll miss me. End recording.
TRACY: How did he get these recordings here if he called out sick…?
PAM: He is always a mystery. I’m Pamela Kirkland.
KAP: And I’m Tracy Leeds Kaplan filling in for Ryan. It’s Thursday, September 14th.
PAM: This is the Ten News.
03:17 KAP: Happy birthday to the world, happy birthday to the world…
PAM: Wow Tracy, you have our break room all decorated and ready for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish holiday.
KAP: Yes, since the holiday begins at sundown tomorrow, on September 15th, I wanted everything to be ready for our celebration. I also have a special guest joining us in the studio, Miriam Kanani from Bay Area Bnai Mitzvah. Miriam is a Jewish educator that has officiated about 70 bar and bat mitzvahs all over the Bay Area, and a Hebrew teacher. Oh, there she is!
MIRIAM:  Hii, Tracy. Hi, Pamela. So happy to join you for this special time.
TRACY: Miriam, we are excited you are here. I have a few questions for you about the Jewish holidays. Can you start us off with what Rosh Hashanah means?
MIRIAM: Yes, I definitely can. So the word Rosh means head and Hashana means the year. So Rosh Hashanah is the head of the year and it is the Jewish new year. It starts on the new moon and this upcoming new year is 5, 784. That's how long we count the world as being old. Yes, it's considered to be the world or the universe's birthday.
PAM: 5,784! That is one big birthday. How do you celebrate?
MIRIAM: On Rosh Hashanah, um, it's customary to eat apples dipped in honey, and that's the favorite, favorite treat among kids. And it's also a custom to eat a round challah that is so delicious.
TRACY: And then Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement comes next, 10 days later?
MIRIAM: Yes. And those 10 days are from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur where we ask forgiveness from our family and friends. It's a really, really special time to be with your families and celebrate.
PAM: Why 10 days and not 7 or 8?
MIRIAM: That's a great question. Basically, most of the Jewish holidays land on the new moon or the full moon. And so we're kind of leading up to the full moon from the new moon and counting all the way from Rosh Hashanah to the Day of Atonement.
PAM: Day of Atonement, that sounds intense!
MIRIAM: Oh, yes. That one's intense. Well, if you're 13 or older, then you're supposed to not eat anything and you're supposed to fast for a whole 25 hours. It's really, really hard. And you're supposed to pray and ask forgiveness from everybody in your family that you've hurt or any friends that you need to ask forgiveness from. And you can also do a custom called Tashlich, which is when you throw breadcrumbs in the ocean or in a river or a And with every breadcrumb, you let go of something that you want to ask forgiveness for.
PAM: So what can I say to someone who is Jewish during this time?
MIRIAM: So in Rosh Hashanah we say Shanah Tovah. Shanah Tovah means Happy New Year. Shanah means year and Tovah means good. So good or Happy New Year. And in Hebrew we actually say our noun before our verb or adjective. So it's actually literally year good. Or you're happy instead of happy new year. In Yom Kippur, you can say to someone Som Kal, which means may you have an easy fast. Or you may also say to someone, may you be written in the book of life. And that comes from this idea that there's this giant book and we're all being written, hopefully in the book of life in the new year. And that's decided the book of life is opened on Rosh Hashanah and it's closed on Yom Kippur.
PAM: Just like Santa’s list!
MIRIAM: Yes, exactly. Exactly. I was going to say exactly like Santa Claus's list.
06:34 RYAN: Hello Miriam.
MIRIAM: Uhhhh, who’s that voice…?
PAM: Oh, it's another recording that Ryan left around the newsroom. Not sure how he knows that we are in here…
RYAN: I shall blow the Shofar, the horn of the ram as a call to repentance during the High Holy Days.
MIRIAM: Wow, he knows his stuff. It’s one of the most significant rituals during Rosh Hashanah. He must have Shofar blowing experience.
PAM: I’m not sure about that…
KAP: That didn’t sound right.
MIRIAM: Nope, that’s not quite it either.
TRACY: Um, Miriam, while our ears re-cover, can you tell us about the shofar?
MIRIAM: So the shofar is a very ancient instrument that has been used for over 3, 000 years. It is literally the horn of a ram and it comes in so many different sizes. And the way that it was used in ancient times was to let different villages communicate with each other when it was a new moon, a new month, when it was a holiday, or when it was a different sacred time like Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. During the month of Elul, which is the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah, we are supposed to blow the shofar every single morning. And the shofar is considered to be a wake up call. So it's a wake up call to remember that you're alive, and that it's time to get ready for the new year, it's time to think about all of the actions you've done in the past year, and how you want to shift and become a better person for this upcoming year. So we do it on the evening of Rosh Hashanah, the day of Rosh Hashanah. The evening of Yom Kippur and the day of Yom Kippur. Four sets of notes are traditionally played. And each of the blasts has a different meaning. Takiya, a long blast, Shivarim, three short blasts, Truah, nine staccato blasts, and last but not least, Takiya Gedola, a very long blast. Um, the long blast is really the final one to Ki Agadolah, is really the one that's supposed to open your heart. And it's, people usually close their eyes and listen, because right as one sense is taken away, another sense is magnified. Let me show you how to do it. People usually take a really long breath to do it.
PAM/KAP: Wow! That was great!
09:26 TRACY: I hope you worked up an appetite for our holiday meal. Want to help us make some brisket and challah?
MIRIAM: Yes. I'd love to. Let's get cooking.
PAM: Many religions have a tradition that includes fasting for a holiday. Yom Kippur in Judaism, Ramadan if you Muslim, but did you know that your body fasts every night? The word breakfast comes from breaking the fast! While you were sleeping, your body was fasting and your first meal in the morning broke that fast, your break-fast. Unless you are a sleep walking eater….and no, those are not crumbs on my pillow…
PAM: Hey Chad, why do you have your head out the window?
CHAD: A Ryan recording told me to look at the moon… We are getting close to the Fall Equinox on September 23rd and that means we’ll see a Harvest Moon.
PAM: Oh, that sounds cool. Why is it called a Harvest Moon?
CHAD: Well, aside from being during the harvest, it’s called the Harvest Moon because it was a huge help to the farmers! The full moon acted like a flashlight, shining super bright in the sky so they could stay out in the fields late and make the most of the harvest.
PAM: Okay…but why is it so bright?
CHAD: That’s because the Harvest Moon rises much closer to sunset, it shows up just as the sun goes down. Most moons rise about 50 minutes later each night. If tonight’s moon rises at 7pm, then tomorrow night’s moon will be at 7:50. But not the Harvest Moon! It hops up just as the sun is going down and lights up the sky for a much longer time.
PAM: Now I’m looking forward to seeing it. Well, I’m excited that this year’s Fall Equinox is falling on September 23, 2023. It's the official start of Autumn and when the day and night are exactly the same length. And of course, time to start taking out our sweaters, look for leaves changing colors…
CHAD: And get ready for all things pumpkin flavored!
11:31 RYAN: Hey, it’s Ryan again. Also FYI, if you howl at the moon, you’ll see the moon in a different color. .
PAM/CHAD: Really?!?
RYAN: Not really. GOTCHA!
12:02 PAM: Tomorrow is also an important day for Hispanic Americans. September 15th is the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month in the U.S. Hispanic Heritage Month is the only heritage month to start mid-month from one month to mid-month of another month. Do you know why? The month started as a Heritage Week and September 15th was picked by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968 to recognize the Central American countries that had declared their independence on September 15th, 1821. The countries were Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. And now we celebrate all the contributions and cultures of Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. Do you do something special for Hispanic Heritage Month? We want to hear about it! Drop us a note at hello@thetennews.com or leave us a voice mail at 1-877-TEN-NEWS!
OWEN: Welcome to the Trivia Room.
MIRIAM: Hi Owen! So good to see you! I haven’t seen you since your sister Naomi’s Bat Mitzvah. You look great!
OWEN: Oh! Hi Miriam! Happy New Year and Welcome!
MIRIAM: Thanks so much, this room is AWESOME.
OWEN: It’s pretty sweet. But since I have you here, care to give the Trivia Throne a spin?
MIRIAM: Absolutely.
OWEN: Now I know you know all about the Jewish holidays and traditions, so I’m throwing you a curveball. National Hispanic Heritage Month has just begun. The term Hispanic refers to a person with ancestry from a country whose primary language is Spanish. The term Latino, Latina or Latin aye refers to a person with origins from anywhere in Latin America. So basically, Latino and it’s variations refer to geography and Hispanic refers to a country’s language. Which of these countries could be considered both Latino AND Hispanic?
OWEN: Is it:
Brazil
Cuba or
Spain
OWEN: Did you guess it, Ten’ers? The answer is… B! Cuba is considered both because it’s located in Latin America and the primary language is also Spanish.
MIRIAM: Wow, that’s so cool Owen. Thank you for sharing!
OWEN: Anytime, Miriam! Ten’ers, do you want to join me in the Trivia room and drop some knowledge? Visit thetennews.com/contact to get in touch, and we might have you on the show!
15:01 KAP: Pamela did it feel…quieter in the studio today without Ryan?
PAM: Yeah, it kinda did–
RYAN: I’M ALREADY FEELING BETTER AND WILL RETURN SOONER THAN LATER. Don’t forget to give Ten News Snaps to one of our listeners!
PAM: Ahh yes, but before we do, here’s a quick note for the grown-ups…
KAP: Time for Ten News Snaps!
PAM: Ten’er Lila left this review: “The Ten News is amazing because I can actually understand what’s going on because you explain it and I NEED more and love the Ten Things You Need to Know one.” Thank you for that review Lila!
KAP: And thanks for listening to the Ten News! Ten Things You Need to Know drops every Tuesday and our in-depth reports drop every Thursday. And if you want some bonus content, you could join the Ten’ers Club on our website or on Apple Podcasts.
PAM: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts, and part of the Airwave Media podcast network.
KAP: The Ten News creative team is blowing the Shofar and includes Tracey Crooks, Logan DeYoung, Corinne Catibayan, Carson Potter, and Chad Chenail. Big thanks to Miriam for contributing to this episode!
16:11 PAM: Our Production Director is Jeremiah Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I’m Pamela Kirkland; thanks for listening to The Ten News.
