'Love Thy Neighbor' Urged In Ocean County

TOMS RIVER, NJ — The Ocean County prosecutor's office is promoting the "Love Thy Neighbor" campaign for a second year, starting this weekend.

The "Love Thy Neighbor" campaign started over Memorial Day weekend in 2018 with messages delivered by faith leaders throughout Ocean County urging residents to spread peace and tolerance instead of hate. There were 30 houses of worship that participated in 2018.

Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer, who is continuing the program started by Joseph Coronato, said he has reached out to 82 faith leaders in an effort to promote that message of tolerance and peace again.

"It is important to spread the message that we are all different people, but our differences do not make us enemies," Billhimer said.

The "Love Thy Neighbor: There is No Room for Hate in Ocean County" comes amid heightened tensions throughout the area and throughout the country. There have been anti-Semitic incidents in Lakewood and surrounding towns, and last week a Brick Township woman was charged with bias intimidation over messages she sent via Facebook Messenger that invoked the Ku Klux Klan and the Aryan Brotherhood.

The effort asks relgious leaders to deliver messages of tolerance at all religious ceremonies in Ocean County from May 31 through June 1.

"My office and the other 20 county prosecutor’s offices in New Jersey share a responsibility to detect, investigate, indict and convict those who violate the laws of our state," Billhimer said. "I take great pride in this mission."

"I also believe that it is my duty to exemplify leadership beyond the realm of police work and the courtroom," he said. "As our county struggles with divisions based on race, ethnicity, religion and political views, it is incumbent on myself and all community leaders to embrace diversity. It is important to send a clear message across the respective communities that make up our great county that kindness and tolerance is preferred over vitriol and hate speech."

There is a national, broader organization, Love Thy Neighbor USA, that can be found online at www.LoveThyNeighborUSA.com and Facebook. For more information, or to learn how you or your organization can participate in this year’s program, please contact Mike Colwell, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, at Mcolwell@co.ocean.nj.us, Bryan Huntenburg, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, at BHuntenburg@co.ocean.nj.us, Scott Gartner, at scott@lovethyneighborusa.com or Colin Lewis at colin@lovethyneighborusa.com.

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