ARTIST WAGE PEACE CONTRIBUTORS

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​CONTRIBUTORS

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In order of appearance:

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Robin Pacific is the lead organizer of the event. She will provide a brief welcome and opening remarks.

Fr. Nathan Humphrey is the Rector of St. Thomas Anglican Church; he was the original supporter of this project. Fr. Humphrey will give us a blessing.

Roula Said is a poet, singer, dancer, and comedienne. She also conducts weddings and is a death doula. She performs with Maryem Tollar as FAOC (Friggin Arab Orchestra Company, pronounced FOWK). She will give the opening Artists Talk on June 12, and perform PoemSongs on June 13.

Marching Disorder Band is a radical brass/music collective involved in social justice and Jewish cultural activism. They’ll lead us in song!

Ronna Bloom is the author of eight books of poetry. Her work has been broadcast on the CBC, recorded by the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, translated into Bangla and Chinese, and shortlisted for several Canadian literary awards. She will read from her recent collection, In A Riptide as well as a few new poems.

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Gary Barwin is the author of 36 books including the bestselling, Yiddish for Pirates. He has been shortlisted for the Giller Prize and the GovernorGeneral’s Award and has won the League of Canadian Poets’ Lifetime Membership Award, the Leacock Medal and, three times, the Canadian Jewish Literary Award. He will read from his forthcoming novel, The Comedian’s Book of the Dead, as well as some short fiction pieces.

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Cantor Cheryl Wunch is the spiritual leader of Shir Lebenyu synagogues. She will give us a blessing from the perspective of Jewish clergy.

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Jeffrey Wilkinson (viola) and Samia Odeh (vocals and piano) perform an original composition which includes voices from their sessions with Jews and Palestinians.

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Jeff has been a performer, conductor and composer for over 45 years. Much of his professional life has been as a music educator.  Jeff’s principal instrument is viola, though he also plays and teaches the violin, and guitar as well as theory, history and composition. His Master’s thesis employed eight original pieces, often using both instrumental and found sounds as well as taped narrations. His compositions include many songs for children, Jewish liturgical pieces and instrumental works.  Jeff is Jewish and has deeply enjoyed his collaboration with Samia, a Palestinian, and is awed by her talent and creativity.

Samia is an award-winning musician, singer-songwriter, and winner of the McGill Concerto Competition. She is a Palestinian Christian whose father lost his home as a child in the 1948 Nakba. Grounded in the belief that we are all connected, her work reflects a deep commitment to caring for one another and honouring the dignity of every human being. Shaped by her family’s experience of displacement, she carries an understanding of loss and resilience, and believes that the lessons from our different struggles can be shared to help create a more just and compassionate world. She has engaged in peace work alongside Jewish partners, and is honoured and inspired to do this musical work with Dr. Jeffrey Wilkinson.

Lior Ben Zvi is the Development Officer for the American Friends of the Parents Circle -Family Forum, a joint Israeli-Palestinian organization in Israel and the West Bank. Over 800 bereaved Palestinians and Israeli members have lost an immediate family member to the ongoing conflict. Despite their profound grief, the members have chosen a unique and courageous path: to transform their pain into a force for reconciliation, dialogue, and peace.

Maryem Tollar is a renowned Egyptian-Canadian vocalist and actor, known for her world music performances. Her voice has been heard on the theme of CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie and A.R. Rahman’s Bollywood hit, Mayya Mayya; she was the featured vocalist for many other groups and concerts.

​Maryem performs with Roula Said in their comedy duo FAOC and they will be at the 2026 Toronto Fringe Festival at Video Cabaret Theatre July 5 to12, 2026 with the premiere of their new play "Book of Ooka - The Immaculate Misconception", co-created and directed by HRH Anand Rajara.

David Weiss started learning classical guitar at age 11. Soon after he got a Beatles songbook and began teaching himself chords. In Grade 9 he was asked to join a progressive rock cover band by older students at his high school and was soon playing Genesis, Peter Gabriel, and David Bowie covers. By Grade 12 he had begun writing and recording his own songs. In 1989 he met Maryem Hassan at a University of Toronto talent show and they performed together. After that they lost touch and David played various U of T and local open mic nights both solo and with friends. In 1992 Maryem happened to see him performing at Toronto’s Blue Moon Saloon, they reconnected, formed HOT D.A.M. (David and Maryem). And the rest is history.

Maryem and David will be performing with Jaash Singh, drumkit and percussion, and Joska Tollar, bass guitar.

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Joska Tollar just completed his first year of university at The University of Toronto. He has been playing double bass since 2019; and electric bass since 2022. He majored in strings (double bass) at Etobicoke School of The Arts and continues to study privately with Mark Godfrey. His first professional role as an actor and musician was in FAOC’s “Very Shady Arab Ladies” at Toronto Fringe Festival 2025. He has performed regularly at The Tranzac with his own group performing his original instrumental compositions and accompanying singers in different traditions of music including Jazz, Arabic and Folk music traditions.

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Jaash Singh is a multi-award-winning percussionist, specializing in folk music and dance accompaniment. He is featured on many notable recordings, has done over a thousand live performances, and has experience in film, theatre, and as an educator. He has been involved in eastern European, middle eastern, and mediterranean music and culture for 15 years, and has worked extensively with many community organizations who focus on making cultural experiences accessible to a wider audience. He is known for his work with such artists as Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Ventanas and Measha Brueggergosman. He is known for his exciting rhythmic grooves and his magnetic audience engagement.

Imama Farheen Khan is the co-founder of The Women’s Mosque of Canada; its primary purpose is to ensure that women within Islam and in the broader society have equal rights.  The Women’s Mosque stands against all forms of violence and oppression against women. Farheen is an author and advocate and continues to speak in the media on matters of gender-based violence, islamophobia, equity, civil and human rights. Imama Khan will give us a Muslim blessing.​

Honey Novick is a well known and loved Toronto poet and singer/songwriter. She is the lead artist of CreativeVocalization Studio, a small singing/creative writing studio working to promote, encourage and inspire people to use self-expression through these artistic endeavours to have more confidence and sensitivity. She will recite poems and sing.

Larry Nusbaum is a physician, psychotherapist, storyteller, and musician whose music helps bring people together. His songs are about healing, peacemaking, love and loss, and our shared humanity. Larry is also known for his Inner Guidance Method that engages resilience and creativity in the midst of crisis. In 2008 he created Imagine Hope Middle East Peace Circles, combining his music and inner guidance method. This process allows people to access their intuition and uncover hidden hope that can help guide their actions. He has offered these circles to gatherings of Palestinians, Israelis, Jews and Arabs, and people from around the world, in Israel, the West Bank, Jordan, USA, Canada, and online. Larry will lead a guided musical meditation for peace.

Raja Khouri and Jeffrey Wilkinson are co-authors of The Wall Between, What Jews and Palestinians Don’t Want to Know About Each Other, to be re-issued June 6 as How October 7 and Gaza Reshaped the Narrative. Raja and Jeffrey have travelled widely and given countless workshops in a variety of venues. They will give a talk and lead breakout sessions.

Yafa Sakkejha is a community organizer for depolarization. She was the Toronto chair of Canadian Friends of Standing Together, one of many international support groups in Israel and Palestine. This group is equallyco-led by Israeli Jews and Palestinian Citizens of Israel. There are tens of thousands of members of Standing Together and growing all the time. This'purple movement' is one of the only areas of hope we have; one of the only rapidly growing interfaith groups for peace both in the Holy Land and around the world. Yafa will give the closing remarks.