The Rabbi, The Imam and The Power of Dialogue
The Rabbi, The Imam and The Power of Dialogue
Podcast Description
Since October 7th many Muslims and Jews the world over have stopped talking and in some cases turned on each other.Amid this turmoil a Rabbi and an Imam managed to keep their friendship alive and have launched this podcast to show the power of dialogue in bridging divides between the two communities. This bi-weekly podcast will explore how Imam Nasser Kurdy and Rabbi Dovid Lewis have, despite their many disagreements, managed to stay friends while war rages thousands of miles away. They are two men of faith who speak to each other in 'good faith.'Imam Nasser Kurdy, originally from Jordan, is a Manchester-based surgeon and lay Imam.Rabbi Dovid Lewis, is a native Mancunion and has led the south Manchester Jewish Community since 2011.They’ve been friends since 2012, but became closer after Nasser was stabbed in his neck outside his mosque (as reported in The Guardian) in South Manchester in 2017. Together, they’ve championed dozens of interfaith initiatives across schools and premiership football clubs in the north west of England since October 7th. For example, they recently co-led an assembly for teenagers on navigating difficult conversations about Israel-Palestine.Imam Nasser Kurdy: "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict affects relationships within our local communities. Jews and Muslims are having great difficulty speaking to each other. There's no dialogue. Hence this podcast, it's about dialogue."Rabbi Dovid Lewis: "In our own communities, we might like to think we are influential: Nasser leads the mosque, I lead the synagogue. However, neither of us are able to make a direct difference to what's happening in Israel, Palestine, Gaza, the West Bank. But what is our responsibility? It is to make sure that it doesn't spill over into our communities, into the friendships that we have made with one another."Subscribe now to join the conversationThis is a Mark Schweiger and Larchmont Productions co-production, supported by the Cardinal Partnership Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
Focuses on the dynamics of interfaith friendship and dialogue amidst global conflict, featuring episodes that discuss their personal journey, the impact of October 7th on their communities, and specific topics like Kosher and Halal food and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Since October 7th many Muslims and Jews the world over have stopped talking and in some cases turned on each other.
Amid this turmoil a Rabbi and an Imam managed to keep their friendship alive and have launched this podcast to show the power of dialogue in bridging divides between the two communities.
This bi-weekly podcast will explore how Imam Nasser Kurdy and Rabbi Dovid Lewis have, despite their many disagreements, managed to stay friends while war rages thousands of miles away.
They are two men of faith who speak to each other in ‘good faith.’
Imam Nasser Kurdy, originally from Jordan, is a Manchester-based surgeon and lay Imam.
Rabbi Dovid Lewis, is a native Mancunion and has led the south Manchester Jewish Community since 2011.
They’ve been friends since 2012, but became closer after Nasser was stabbed in his neck outside his mosque (as reported in The Guardian) in South Manchester in 2017.
Together, they’ve championed dozens of interfaith initiatives across schools and premiership football clubs in the north west of England since October 7th. For example, they recently co-led an assembly for teenagers on navigating difficult conversations about Israel-Palestine.
Imam Nasser Kurdy: “The Israeli-Palestinian conflict affects relationships within our local communities. Jews and Muslims are having great difficulty speaking to each other. There’s no dialogue. Hence this podcast, it’s about dialogue.”
Rabbi Dovid Lewis: “In our own communities, we might like to think we are influential: Nasser leads the mosque, I lead the synagogue. However, neither of us are able to make a direct difference to what’s happening in Israel, Palestine, Gaza, the West Bank. But what is our responsibility? It is to make sure that it doesn’t spill over into our communities, into the friendships that we have made with one another.”
Subscribe now to join the conversation
This is a Mark Schweiger and Larchmont Productions co-production.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this exclusive episode, Chief Constable Sir Stephen Watson of Greater Manchester Police (GMP) joins Rabbi Dovid Lewis and Imam Nasser Kurdy to discuss the major way in how UK forces are policing protests related to the Israel-Hamas war.
Following a pivotal joint statement issued with Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley in December 2025, police strategy has shifted.
Sir Stephen explains why certain chants and slogans – previously tolerated at pro-Palestinian marches – may now cross the threshold into hate crime or public order offences.
They explore how this new approach aims to balance the democratic right to protest, with the urgent need for community safety, specifically addressing the rising fear of antisemitism within the Jewish community and maintaining community cohesion for all, including the Muslim community.
This conversation dives into the “why” behind the change:
How police now assess the context and intent of language like “globalise the intifada”.
The warning that enforcement will be more “decisive” against hate speech.
The reality of policing London and Manchester during a time of heightened terrorist threat.
Key Topics Discussed:
00:00 – Introduction: Policing protests in a time of global conflict.
05:12 – Hate Crime Legislation: How police determine if language is criminal.
12:45 – Community Safety: Is the fear in the Jewish community justified?
18:30 – Free Speech vs. Hate Speech: Where is the legal line?
24:10 – Context and Intent: Why it matters when policing marches.
31:00 – Extremism: How a small minority hijacks legitimate causes.
40:15 – Community Cohesion: Are we losing the middle ground?
This podcast was recorded in a studio in south Manchester and is now available to watch here on our new Youtube channel
This is a Mark Schweiger and Larchmont Productions co-production.
If you have any comments or suggestions about the podcast please email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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