FEBRUARY 17 • 2022 | 21

been our harsh reality. And 
we can’t ignore that reality. 
We have to confront it.” 
Members of Congress 
followed up with ques-
tions asking what more 
they could do to help. 
Representative Clay 
Higgins (R) of Louisiana 
expressed how he and the 
members of the subcom-
mittee and representatives 
on both sides of the aisle 
are dedicated to help find 
solutions so that places 
of worship can peacefully 
gather. He asked Cytron-
Walker about the recent 
attack at the temple, and 
the relationship between 
the Jewish community and 
the local law enforcement. 
Cytron-Walker replied 
that during the entire 
hostage situation he was 
communicating with the 
Colleyville Sheriff by tex-
ting and emailing, saying 
that the relationship with 
the department is very 
important to him. 
“It really takes all of us on 
all sides of the aisle to come 
with that sense of curiosity 
and come with that sense 
that our status quo is not 
okay,” Cytron-Walker said. 
“This kind of violence is 
happening in our religious 
communities and in our 
schools, and our religious 
institutions and nonprofits. 
We need that sense of secu-
rity. We need these grants. 
We need these programs.” 
“
And we also have to do 
more to work together to 
change that overall reality. 
Because what we’re going 
through right now, I don’t 
believe it’s sustainable,” he 
added. 

 

To watch the hearing, visit https://

homeland.house.gov/activities/hear-

ings/the-nonprofit-security-grant-pro-

gram-and-protecting-houses-of-wor-

ship-a-view-from-the-american-jew-

ish-community.

JN STAFF
F

ederation’s Israel & 
Overseas Department 
announced the upcom-
ing Comedy for Peace, a 
traveling comedy show that 
combines Muslim and Jewish 
stand-up comedians for a fun 
and inspiring night out. 

The event takes place 
Wednesday, March 2, at Mark 
Ridley’s Comedy Castle in 
Royal Oak. 
Comedy for Peace is the 
first of a series of three 
“Shared Society” events, each 
with the goal of bringing peo-
ple together to create a stron-
ger shared community. 
“Detroit has a diverse com-
munity,” says Yiftah Leket, 
Federation’s community 
shaliach (Israeli emissary). 
“Shared Society is aiming to 
take a step toward bringing 
down the walls between Jews 
and Muslims to form a peace-
ful and meaningful relation-
ship. Comedy for Peace, our 
first event, does this through 
the art of comedy and the 
sound of laughter.”
The Comedy for Peace line-
up, which has been touring 
since 2019, features a num-
ber of seasoned performers, 
including: 

DOTAN MALACH 
(ERIK ANGEL)
An Israeli-Jewish comedian 
and the founder/producer of 
the Comedy for Peace Show. 
Born and raised in Israel, he 
is now based on the Upper 
West Side where he is getting 
to know the American come-
dy scene. As a new transplant 
to New York, he is now deal-
ing for the first time with the 
fact that he is a Jew, an immi-
grant and that no one around 
him understands Hebrew. 
Since his arrival in New York 
a year and a half ago, he 
performed in clubs around 
the city including West Side 
Comedy Club, Greenwich 
Village Comedy Club and the 
Broadway Comedy Club, as 
well as internationally.

TEHRAN VON GHASRI
Meet one of the hottest rising 
comedians on the comedy 
scene. With a diverse con-
trasting background of Black, 
Persian, Muslim and Jewish, 
street smarts and educated, 
Tehran brings a fresh, unique 
perspective to comedy and 
humor. As seen on Comedy 
Central, HBO and Fox. He 
performs regularly in the 
Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. 

REEM EDAN
Edan is an Iraqi-American 
comedian, writer, actress 
and digital content creator 
known for her unique brand 
of “Muslim-Ennial” humor. 
She has performed at venues 
and colleges across the U.S., 
Europe, Japan and the Middle 
East. She’s opened for Arsenio 
Hall and is an alumni of the 
2020 NBC Late Night Writing 
Workshop. She was recently 
named on Bustle’s list of “5 
Muslim women comedians 
to get you through social dis-
tancing.” 

STEVE MARSHALL
Marshall is a New York-based 
Jewish American comedian, 
actor and writer. He’s a wild, 
unique, energetic and smart 
performer, with 25 years’ 
experience in the biggest 
clubs in the city and tours 
regularly throughout the 
United States. 
 

The Comedy for Peace event is 

co-hosted by Federation’s NEXTGen 

Detroit Department, The Well and 

JCRC/AJC. Tickets are $20 and 

include one complimentary beverage. 

Register at jewishdetroit.org/comedy.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Dotan Malach (Erik Angel), Tehran Von Ghasri, Reem Edan and Steve Marshall

Federation’s Israel & Overseas Department will hold 
traveling comedy show.
‘Comedy for Peace’

