In The Devil’s Arithmetic, a historical fiction novel of a young Jewish woman during the Second World War, Jewish author Jane Yolen famously wrote, “If we do not laugh, we will cry.” The quote ends: “What you laugh at and make familiar can no longer frighten you.”
Everyone knows that war, death and destruction are no laughing matter. But humour can help in fundamental ways. It can bring people together, helping them bypass the barriers that prevent them from understanding different perspectives. For Jews and Muslims over the past two years, humour has done even more: it has become an essential buffer against despair and a way of reclaiming agency in a world tragically beyond our control.
In that spirit, In Good Faith, The CJN’s interfaith podcast miniseries, brought two Jewish comics—Dan Rosen and Adrienne Fish—together with Arab stand-ups Nour Hadidi and AJ Bate for a night of live comedy at Youngplace in downtown Toronto on Oct. 22, 2025. After their stand-up sets, each joined hosts Avi Finegold and Yafa Sakkejha for a panel discussion about what it’s like spotlighting their identities onstage and why they feel comedy is important during difficult times.
Timestamps
00:00 - Introductions
03:47 - Dan Rosen
09:20 - AJ Bate
18:34 - Adrienne Fish
27:06 - Nour Hadidi
32:52 - Panel Discussion
Credits
Hosts: Yafa Sakkejha and Avi Finegold
Producers: Michael Fraiman and Zachary Judah Kauffman
Editor: Zachary Judah Kauffman
This podcast is sponsored by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, with support from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.
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56:16
Episode 2: Falling Out, Falling In
Ever since Oct. 7, if you're a Jewish Canadian, odds are you've had a personal falling out. If you haven't personally, you likely know someone who has. Across the world, Jews have seen and heard shocking posts and comments by friends, acquaintances and colleagues.
This isn't a left-right issue. As we explore on today's episode of In Good Faith, The CJN's interfaith podcast miniseries, even within left-wing activist circles, friends have been torn apart in the aftermath of the Hamas attack on Israel.
On today's episode, you'll hear from two longtime friends: Ronit Yarosky and Ehab Lotayef. They've been friends for 20 years. She's Jewish; he's Muslim. She's lived in Israel, and served in the Israeli army before founding the Canadian branch of the Women in Black anti-war group; he's Egyptian and married a Palestinian woman, sitting on numerous Arab and Muslim Canadian councils. But despite having marched side-by-side in progressive protests for decades, a single comment on Oct. 8, 2023, caused what seemed like an irreparable rift in their lives for a year.
Hear how they fell apart—and came back together—on In Good Faith.
NOTE: This podcast has been developed in partnership between Jewish, Muslim, Arab and Palestinian community members to foster dialogue between our communities. Some listeners may find parts of this program offensive. All opinions belong to the participants, and do not reflect the views of The CJN staff, its board members or its donors.
Credits
Hosts: Yafa Sakkejha and Avi Finegold
Producers: Michael Fraiman and Zachary Judah Kauffman
Editor: Zachary Judah Kauffman
This podcast is sponsored by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, with support from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.
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33:37
Episode 1: Difficult Conversations
Ever since Oct. 7, 2023, Muslim and Jewish communities in Canada have been torn apart. Dialogue groups disbanded. Friendships bottomed out. Campuses became battlegrounds. And what happens when two groups stop speaking to one another, both reeling from a raging war halfway around the world?
Dehumanization. Anxiety. Trauma. Hatred.
It is against this backdrop, as a fragile ceasefire slowly cools the Israel-Gaza conflict, that The CJN is launching In Good Faith. In this podcast, you'll hear difficult, honest, challenging conversations with Jews and Muslims, Israelis and Palestinians, from across the country.
But first, we start with our hosts: Avi Finegold, a rabbi and a writer with The CJN, and Yafa Sakkejha, a Canadian-Palestinian entrepreneur and volunteer with the Friends of Standing Together.
In the first episode, they meet face-to-face for the first time and just... talk.
Credits
Hosts: Yafa Sakkejha and Avi Finegold
Producers: Michael Fraiman and Zachary Judah Kauffman
Editor: Zachary Judah Kauffman
This podcast is sponsored by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, with support from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.
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31:47
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31:47
In Good Faith: Coming Fall 2025
This podcast features strong expletives and language that some audiences may find offensive.
In a post-Oct. 7 world, news feeds are filled with videos, podcasts and reports of Jews and Muslims talking at each other, or about each other, but rarely with each other. We're doing something different. This limited series brings together Jews, Muslims, Israelis and Palestinians, from across Canada and the political divide, to sit down and have honest, heartfelt, difficult conversations—in good faith.
Sponsored by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, with support from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.
Credits
Hosts: Yafa Sakkejha and Avi Finegold
Production team: Michael Fraiman and Zachary Judah Kauffman
Music: Yurii Suprunenko
In a post-Oct. 7 world, news feeds are filled with videos, podcasts and reports of Jews and Muslims talking at each other, or about each other, but rarely with each other. This limited series brings together Jews, Muslims, Israelis and Palestinians, from across the country and the political divide, to sit down and have difficult conversations—in good faith.
Sponsored by the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, with support from the Ronald S. Roadburg Foundation.
Canada - english