A fascinating series of events unfolded during a relatively routine hearing of the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, in which committee members were to vote on the nomination of Ocean County Prosecutor Brad Billhimer to a second five-year term in the position.

Some witnesses who spoke to the committee opposed Billhimer’s nomination to another term for various reasons. One of those testifying was a man named Larry Loigman, who identified himself as a representative of the Lakewood community. Loigman argued that Billhimer didn’t do enough since the October 7 Hamas attacks in Israel to ensure the security and safety of Jews in Ocean County, and therefore urged the Judiciary Committee to reject his nomination.

Billhimer responded: “I’m not aware of him – the individual who said he represents the community in Lakewood – I do not believe he represents the community in Lakewood.”

The prosecutor then pointed to someone who he felt does represent the Lakewood community – Agudath Israel’s New Jersey Legislative Affairs Director Shlomo Schorr. “There is an individual here who filed notice wishing to speak to the committee based on Mr. Loigman’s comments,” Billhimer said.

Schorr then got up to speak, giving an impassioned defense of Billhimer, underscoring the prosecutor’s work before and since the October 7 Hamas attacks.

“In my position, and as someone who works with the [Lakewood] community and many of its leaders, I can say that the prosecutor has been not just a friend who is there for us, but a someone who has been working aggressively to counter hate and crime across the County at all levels, for all religions and all faiths,” Schorr said.

“He’s been attending every single interfaith meeting across the county whenever he’s been asked, and he has launched numerous initiatives to protect the community against hate,” Schorr continued. “After the attacks on October 7, I have witness numerous security moves, both marked and unmarked, across Lakewood and the county – at faith-based organizations, houses of worship, etcetera.”

“The Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness have told members of our community on numerous occasions that we have one of the best prosecutors in the state to work with,” he added.

“He responds to concerns from the community regarding security anytime, day or night, weekdays or weekends, whenever he’s asked, he responds.”

Having heard from an actual representative of the Lakewood community as identified by the prosecutor himself, the Senate Judiciary Committee went on to confirm Billhimer’s nomination, sending it to a vote from the full New Jersey Senate.

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