Just days before their tragic deaths, Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli embassy staffer, had purchased an engagement ring for his girlfriend and colleague, Sarah Milgrim. The couple was shot and killed by a gunman outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., after attending a Young Diplomats reception. Lischinsky, 30, had intended to propose to 26-year-old Milgrim in Jerusalem during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot. Their deaths elicited profound grief in both Israel and Milgrim’s hometown of Overland Park, Kansas.
Milgrim was celebrated for her warmth, compassion, and dedication to peacebuilding and relations in the Middle East and North Africa through her work with the American Jewish Congress. Lischinsky, a former resident of Germany who served in the Israeli Defense Forces, was noted for his commitment to the State of Israel. Both were remembered fondly by colleagues, with AJC CEO Ted Deutch expressing heartbreak over the couple’s sudden loss.
The police are investigating the shooting suspect, Elias Rodriguez, who was reportedly heard shouting “Free, free Palestine” upon his arrest. This incident comes in the wake of ongoing tensions related to the Gaza conflict, including the violent aftermath of Hamas attacks on Israel that resulted in significant casualties on both sides. Lischinsky and Milgrim’s lives were cut short amid a broader climate of unrest, marked by protests against Israel and rising antisemitism across various platforms, including U.S. college campuses. Their story has become a poignant reminder of the personal tragedies overshadowed by political strife.
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