Episode 3: If We're Not Laughing, We're Crying

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.