Australian Ambassador Meets With Williamsburg Community and Law Enforcement Leaders

By Idy Perl

On Thursday afternoon several Williamsburg community and law enforcement leaders had a sit-down conversation with Australian ambassador, James Larson. 

Larson came to visit Williamsburg to learn more about the Jewish community, and also to hear about the measures that have been implemented to make the city safer, especially given the recent rise in antisemitism. 

The meeting took place in the home of Moshe Klein, and several askanim, law enforcement members, and community leaders were in attendance, including Reb Moshe Indig from the Williamsburg JCC, Yanky Itzkowitz and Lemel Markowitz from Shomrim, Jewish liaison to Attorney General James Joel Lefkowitz, Captain Joseph Wernersbach from the 90th precinct, and askan Dov Bleich. Two Australian rabbis, Rabbi Yecheskal Friedman and Pini Althaus were in attendance as well. 

The attendees shared with the ambassador the various ways that the community has collaborated with local law enforcement to protect its Jewish residents and ensure their safety. The ambassador pledged to take those ideas back to Australia and implement them for the Jewish community there. 

Ambassador Larson also visited the iconic Gottleib’s Restaurant and tasted some authentic, heimishe food, and stopped into Tiv Tov, where he spoke with the owner about the history of chassidim in Williamsburg and their impact on the city.