Award for NSW community stalwart

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The NSW Parliament has hosted a ceremony to present the inaugural Premier’s Multicultural Awards…and one went to a member of the Jewish community.

Premier Barry O’Farrell, Josie Lacey and Communities Minister Victor Dominello

Jewish communal leader and inter-faith activist, Mrs Josie Lacey received the Premier’s inaugural Lifetime Community Service award. She received the award from Premier Barry O’Farrell; Communities Minister Vic Dominello and Community Relations Commissioner Stepan Kerkyasharian.

The official award was “for her dedicated service over 30 years to the promotion of interfaith and inter-communal harmony, and achievements in multiculturalism spanning social justice, anti-racism, women’s rights and children’s rights”.

She was joined by her husband, Ian Lacey and two daughters, Dr Judith Lacey and Rebecca Lacey-Ehrlich.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president Yair Miller; Board of Deputies executive director Vic Alhadeff and Board of Deputies NGO relations manager, Lynda Ben-Menashe also attended.

Other recipients were: Miss Jasmeem Kaur Malhotra (youth); Mr Anthony Mustaca (Lifetime Community Service); Mr Simon Chan (arts and culture); Mr Nasser Sedghi (regional communities); Ms Mona Goubran (community or interfaith harmony); Dr Amin Hady, Imam of the Zetland mosque (interfaith harmony); Mr Jimmy Liu (economic participation) and Mr Sudhir Warrier (special citation).

NSW Shadow Minister for Water and NSW Parliamentary Friends of Israel deputy chair, Walt Secord, who has been friends with the Lacey family for almost 25 years said: “Congratulations to Mrs Lacey for her life-long commitment to justice, fighting intolerance and promotion of community harmony and interfaith activity. It is an award recognising decades of hard work and a commitment to making Australia a truly wonderful nation.”

On behalf of the recipients, Mrs Lacey spoke in reply and talked about her arrival in Sydney as a refugee from Nazi Europe.