📬 In This Week | January 8–14
👋🏽 Ahlan / Hello
🌟 Five Events Worth Checking Out
🫶🏽 Let’s Bring Our Communities Together
Snow muffles the city outside a café window near University Avenue and Queen’s Park, in Toronto’s Discovery District | Photo by eldhose kuriyan
👋🏽 Ahlan / Hello
I miss sunny skies. Growing up in Cairo and then spending the last 13 years in Toronto has given me a deep appreciation for the sun, especially in January. I completely get why the ancient Egyptians worshipped it. That’s the annual winter rant and your friendly reminder to keep up with your vitamin D.
It’s a quieter week for events, but each one offers a chance to connect, share space, and warm up together.
🌟 Five Events Worth Checking Out
🎬 The Voice of Hind Rajab 🇹🇳
Last screening day at TIFF! 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)
🗓️ Thursday, January 8 at 4:15 pm
📍 TIFF Lightbox, Cinema 5, 350 King St W, Toronto, ON M5V 3X5
Ruba’s Journey: Navigating Chronic Pain |
ربى والألم المزمن
Join an inspiring session as Ruba shares her journey with chronic pain, focusing on lived experience, coping strategies, and empowering women to support one another in facing invisible health challenges.
🌟 Silaa Network
💬 Arabic
🗓️ Thursday, January 8 at 6:00 pm
📍 101 Subway Crescent, Toronto, ON M9B 6K4
🎶 Hope Concert in Oakville
Hope Concert is one of the biggest Arab family music events, blending vibrant live performances, community celebration, and family fun.
🌟 Hawa Canada with featured artists: Anas Sayed, Dr. Amjad Qourshah, Kefah Zreeqy 🇵🇸, Mustafa Al Azzawi 🇮🇶, Mutasem Alasali 🇸🇾, and Yahya Hawwa 🇸🇾
💬 Arabic
🗓️ Saturday, January 10 at 3:00 pm
📍 The Meeting House Rentals, 2700 Bristol Cir, Oakville, ON L6H 6E1
🎶 From Nubia to Harlem: A Journey through Afro-Jazz with Waleed Kush 🇸🇩
Experience a vibrant musical journey with Waleed Kush Afro-Jazz Ensemble, from Nubian grooves to Harlem jazz vibes.
🌟 Waleed Kush 🇸🇩 and band
💬 English
🗓️ Saturday, January 10 at 8:30 pm
📍 DROM Taberna, 458 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2A8
✍️ 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. This is the last workshop in January!
🌟 BookBridge Bookstore with an experienced Arabic calligrapher
💬 Arabic
🗓️ Sunday, January 11 at 12:00 pm
📍 BookBridge Bookstore, 135 Sixth Street, Etobicoke, ON M8V 3A6
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.
🫶🏽 Let’s Bring Our Communities Together
👉🏽 Know someone who would love this newsletter? Forward this issue to them so they can join the community too.
👉🏽 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 15, for the next issue. Until then, salaam / peace!