📬 In This Week | December 4–10
👋🏽 Ahlan / Hello
📣 Community Partner: The Grand Arabic Jam
🌟 Five Events Worth Checking Out
🫶🏽 Let’s Bring Our Community Together
Evening sky over snow-covered park near Bluffer’s Park Beach on the Scarborough lakeshore | Photo by Anurag Jamwal
👋🏽 Ahlan / Hello
You’ll notice fewer events as we move into December, but there’s something that isn’t slowing down. Khamsa just reached a new milestone: 25 issues 🥳🥳🥳
To celebrate, I’m mailing a small surprise package to the first readers who claim it. When you check out, you’ll be asked to choose how the name appears: Toronto, Tkaronto, or “Surprise me.” Packages will be sent early next week. Claim it here 🎁
Thank you for being part of this community!
Nassar
Chief Culture Guide — khamsa🖐🏽
📣 Community Partner: The Grand Arabic Jam
The Grand Arabic Jam is this week’s community partner and one of the most joyful homes for SWANA sounds in the city, bringing together diaspora musicians and music lovers for live classics, deep cuts, and real sing-along moments.
On December 11, they mark one year of celebrating SWANA music and culture with a special anniversary jam with 40% of ticket sales pledged to the Sudan Emergency Appeal via Human Appeal and the Hind Rajab Foundation.
If you have been looking for a warm, welcoming space to hear the songs you grew up with played by a live band in an intimate venue, this is your sign to grab a ticket and be part of the night.
🌟 Five Events Worth Checking Out
🎤 Atheer Yacoub @ The Second City 🇵🇸
Palestinian-American comedian Atheer Yacoub brings her hit stand-up show for 2 nights in Toronto. Sharing sharp, darkly funny stories about culture clash, identity, and the joys of disappointing traditional parents in a fully English set.
🌟 MARSM Canada
💬 English
🗓️ Thursday, Dec 4, 2025 · 7:30 pm
🗓️ Friday, Dec 5, 2025 · 7:30 pm
📍 John Candy Box Theatre, 1 York St, Toronto, ON M5J 0B6
🎄 Meem Toronto Holiday Social
Meem Toronto is hosting a cozy holiday social at Bampot House with DIY Arabic holiday cards, tea, food, and music, and this time they’re inviting queer and trans community members to bring their family and friends too in the heart of Toronto.
🌟 Meem Toronto
💬 Arabic / English
🗓️ Friday, Dec 5 · 7:00 pm
📍 Bampot House, 201 Harbord St, Toronto, ON M5S 1H6
🎤 Voices of Resilience: Bassem Youssef 🇪🇬 & Dr. Gabor Maté
This December, two powerhouse thinkers, Bassem Youssef and Dr. Gabor Maté, come together for a unique Toronto event exploring resilience, hope, and solidarity, raising vital funds for emergency relief and medical aid in Gaza.
🌟 Bassem Youssef & Dr. Gabor Maté, hosted by Penny Appeal Canada
💬 English
🗓️ Saturday, Dec 6 · 6:00 pm
📍 Meridian Arts Centre, 5040 Yonge St, North York, ON M2N 6R8
🍽️ From Sea to Desert: The Flavours of Tunisia 🇹🇳
Dive into a warm, vibrant evening of Tunisian cuisine with Fatima Khlifi, who brings the rich tastes of her heritage to Toronto. Expect a delicious, multi-course journey, from spicy starters and golden semolina bread to aromatic tagine, refreshing Tunisian lemonade, and sweet makroud pastries with mint tea.
🌟 Fatima Khlifi
💬 English
🗓️ Saturday, Dec 6 · 6:30 pm
📍 CSI, 192 Spadina Ave., #501, Toronto, ON M5T 2C2
🎶 Ahmed Moneka 🇮🇶 & Friends @ DROM Taberna
Juno-nominated artist Ahmed Moneka brings an ecstatic late-night set to DROM Taberna, blending Afro-Sufi grooves with Arabic folk, funk, soul, and jazz for a joyful celebration of love, home, and diaspora in downtown Toronto.
🌟 Ahmed Moneka & Friends
💬 English / Arabic
🗓️ Saturday, Dec 6, 2025 · 11:00 pm
📍 DROM Taberna, 458 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 2A8
Don’t miss out on 23 events this week!
With the community events calendar, you can see the latest events happening this week, share an event’s link with a friend, and get driving instructions from where you are.
🌡️ Weekly Vibes Check
🫶🏽 Let’s Bring Our Community Together
👉🏽 Have something cool happening in the community? Share it with me, and we will get the word out together with a free listing or a sponsorship.
👋🏽 If you’d like to support this work directly, you can buy me mint tea so I can keep curating and sharing these events. I’ll see you on Thursday, December 11 for the next issue. Until then, salaam / peace!