Since October 7th 2023, many long-standing Muslim-Jewish friendships and connections have withered away, leaving communities worldwide heartbroken.

The fragile tapestry of UK interfaith relations has all but unravelled. Amid this turmoil, Imam Nasser Kurdy and Rabbi Dovid Lewis, neighbours in south Manchester, have chosen to keep their dialogue and friendship alive.

"A conflict that is thousands of miles away is impacting the way we deal with each other. Jews and Muslims are having great difficulty speaking to each other. There's no dialogue. Hence this podcast, it's about dialogue," says Imam Nasser Kurdy.

Rabbi Dovid Lewis adds: "In our own communities, we're influential. Nasser leads the mosque, I lead the synagogue. Neither of us are able to make any difference to what's happening in Israel, Palestine, Gaza, the West Bank. But our responsibility is to make sure that it doesn't spill over into our communities, into the friendships that we have made with one another."

Launching this week, ‘The Rabbi, The Imam and The Power of Dialogue,’ is a unique new podcast series that will explore how both a devout Muslim and Jew, one 'pro-Palestine', one 'pro-Israel' can maintain a friendship through dialogue, even as a conflict rages thousands of miles away.

Through honest conversations and personal stories, listeners can witness the resilience of their bond and discover how dialogue can bridge divides between Jewish-Muslim communities.

Meet your co-hosts

Dr Nasser Kurdy, originally from Jordan, is a Manchester-based surgeon and former lay Imam.

Rabbi Dovid Lewis, a Manchester native, has led the south Manchester Jewish Community since 2011.

Together, they’ve championed interfaith initiatives across schools and premiership football clubs in the north west of England since October 7th.

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Supported by the Cardinal Partnership Foundation.

This is a Mark Schweiger and Larchmont Productions co-production

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