The start of 2025 has been a challenging time. It has been sad and distressing to see recent incidents targeting Jewish neighbourhoods and synagogues. These incidents have been rightly condemned at all levels of our society, but beyond the public outrage, we should all try to understand what the Jewish community is feeling right now. No community should be made to feel fearful in NSW. Empathy towards one community in distress does not mean we cannot also extend empathy to others experiencing grief and loss.
Communities here in NSW feel the significant suffering experienced in other parts of the world. In these challenging times, it is crucial that we come together and support each other.
At Multicultural NSW, a key part of our role, is to help bring people together to share their differences and build an understanding of our different perspectives in a respectful manner. Our team has been engaging regularly with community and faith leaders to offer support and facilitate dialogue. We are also working with our NSW Government colleagues including NSW Police, NSW Health, the Premier, and the Minister for Multiculturalism, to ensure everyone in our state feels safe and feels they belong. Importantly, we have seen faith leaders coming together to reassure the community that our public hospitals are safe places for everyone to get the care they need.
I would like to thank all of you who do the work every day to build a safe and harmonious NSW for everyone.
Welcome to James Jegasothy, our new Deputy CEO
I’d like to welcome our Deputy CEO James Jegasothy to Multicultural NSW. James joined us late in 2024 and now leads our Community Development Division.
James has had an inspiring journey. Arriving in Australia as a refugee has driven his passion to achieve equitable outcomes for communities experiencing disadvantage.
Over his 20-year career, James has held senior leadership roles in government as well as in the for-purpose and the community sectors. He was most recently the Executive Director at the Office of Multicultural Interests (OMI) in Western Australia. James has held roles at the Australian Red Cross, the Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees, and Ethnic Communities Council of WA.
I’m looking forward to working with James and learning from the experience and expertise he brings to Multicultural NSW.
Lunar New Year
We’ve just enjoyed the Lunar New Year festival, and I extend a warm happy new year to everyone who celebrated. It’s an important time of year for many people at Multicultural NSW. Hear from one of our team members about what makes Lunar New Year so special and how she continues her family’s traditions.
I hope you enjoy the last week of summer. Be safe and I’ll speak with you in Multicultural March.
Joseph La Posta
CEO, Multicultural NSW
