📬 In This Week | January 1–7
👋🏽 Ahlan / Hello
🌟 Five Events Worth Checking Out
🫶🏽 Let’s Bring Our Communities Together
TTC Street Car ripping through a snow storm | Photo by Marcin Skalij
👋🏽 Ahlan / Hello
Happy New Year’s Day. Wishing a meaningful Independence Day to our Sudani 🇸🇩 readers, and a warm early Orthodox and Coptic Christmas 🎄 to those celebrating.
As the year begins, I’ve been thinking less about resolutions and more about how we spend time with others. These events are simple invitations to gather, listen, move, and share space.
If you’re trying to connect in new ways this year, I’d love to hear what that looks like for you. Just hit reply and let me know.
🌟 Five Events Worth Checking Out
🎬 The Voice of Hind Rajab 🇹🇳 🇵🇸
Catch the last week of screening! This urgent hybrid documentary-fiction film follows the final phone call of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza, weaving real emergency recordings with powerful re-enactments to honour her story and the first responders who tried to save her.
🌟 Kaouther Ben Hania (director)
💬 Arabic (with English subtitles)
🗓️ Multiple screenings
📍TIFF Lightbox, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
🏃🏽♀️ Women's Mississauga Run & Cookie Swap
Start the new year off strong with a 5K run, followed by a cozy cookie swap at The Local by Masrawy. Bring a box of cookies (store-bought or homemade) and some tupperware to join in a warm, post-run gathering with the community.
🏃🏽♀️ Womensfitsauga
🗓️ Wednesday, January 3, 2025, at 9:00 AM
📍 The Local by Masrawy, 2275 Britannia Rd W, Mississauga, ON L5M 2G6
🎤 Nour Hadidi 🇯🇴 & Friends: Stand Up Comedy Show
A monthly stand-up comedy show hosted by Toronto comic Nour Hadidi, known for her witty take on life as a Jordanian, being Muslim, and hilarious family anecdotes.
🌟 Hosted by Karis Anderson with Nour Hadidi 🇯🇴, Ousamma Tabbara 🇱🇧, Kris Siddiqi, & Amanda Brooke Perrin
💬 English
🗓️ Saturday, January 3, 10:00 pm
📍 Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor Street W, Toronto, ON M6H 1L5
✍️ Thuluth Arabic Calligraphy Workshops
A weekly class in Toronto where you can dive into the art of Thuluth Arabic calligraphy, learn foundational techniques, and explore the spiritual and cultural roots of this beautiful script.
🌟 BookBridge Bookstore with an experienced Arabic calligrapher
💬 Arabic / English
🗓️ Sunday, Jan 4 · 12:00–2:00 pm
📍 BookBridge Bookstore, 135 Sixth Street, Etobicoke, ON M8V 3A6
🎶 QALBI BASHA Anniversary Concert
Celebrate six months of Qalbi Basha, Toronto's Arabic fusion band led by oud master Hytham Farah. Enjoy a blend of Folk, Tarab, and Pop with live performances by talented local musicians.
🌟 Hytham Farah, Rima Telmun, Arlo Sporn, Michael Vanier, Jessica Mattas, MXK
💬 Arabic & English
🗓️ Sunday, Jan 4 at 7:00 pm
📍 Tapestry, 224 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2L6
Don’t miss out on more 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 instructions on how to get there from where you are.
🌡️ Weekly Vibes Check
🫶🏽 Let’s Bring Our Communities Together
👉🏽 Have something cool happening? 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, January 8 for the next issue. Until then, salaam / peace!