Terror and Tragedy In The Capital
Friday May 23, 2025 – כ״ה אִיָיר תשפ”ה
This is not the column I wanted to write, nor the sermon any of us wants to give this Shabbat. As I sat down on the plane to Israel this week, I planned to write this column about some of the fundamental questions surrounding how we offer our own critique in public or private; about the huge moral questions surrounding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza; and about this Shabbat’s “Veida” annual convening, of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism(IMPJ).
That is not the column you will read, as our reality was shattered with the horrific murder of two people in Washington, D.C.
As I write these words, we mourn the tragic loss of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were gunned down and murdered in cold blood near our nation’s capital, outside the Capital Jewish Museum, after attending an American Jewish Committee event. The event featured staff members of the organization IsraAID, who were there speaking about their efforts to secure additional humanitarian aid for Gazans, despite the risks. There is a sad and twisted irony in a terrorist who saw himself as an activist shouting “Free, Free Palestine,” as he was apprehended by law enforcement, who will in no way serve the cause of the Palestinians and will only succeed in building Israeli and Jewish resolve against hatred, violence, and antisemitism. Sarah and Yaron were murdered because they were attending a Jewish event. It could have been me or you, or any of us who regularly participate in Jewish events, seek community, and feel the need to be together with other Jews in Jewish spaces. Most of us do so safely and securely, without much thought that showing up could pose such a risk. Rabbi Rick Jacobs reminded us that, “Attending an event at a Jewish institution should not risk a person’s life, but today across the globe our Jewish community is increasingly vulnerable.”
My friend Josh Maxey, Executive Director of Bet Mishpachah, DC’s LGBTQ+ Synagogue and Vote Reform Slate Member, shared the following reflection:
“Last night, the entire Jewish community was devastated at hearing the news of a shooting outside of the Capital Jewish Museum, following an event. That devastation and shock turned personal when community officials told me that my dear friend @sarah_milgrim and her soon-to-be fiancé were the victims of this horrific and unjustified attack.
Let me tell you about my friend Sarah.
Her warmth and smile could light up any room. We first met a couple of years ago at an @israelinusa event. From that first meeting, I knew Sarah was a true mensch. We then partnered on several events over the last couple of years around Pride and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Sarah was a true advocate for LGBTQ inclusion in our local Jewish community. I will always appreciate her making space for me at Embassy events and always being greeted with that warm smile and a hug. Sarah was a true public servant.”
Yaron Lischinsky grew up in a culturally mixed family with a Jewish father and a Christian mother, and was a practicing Christian, according to Ronen Shoval, the dean of the Argaman Institute for Advanced Studies in Jerusalem, where Mr. Lischinsky participated in a yearlong program in classical liberal conservative thought after earning a master’s degree in government and diplomacy.”
Sarah and Yaron were planning to travel to Jerusalem next week. Yaron had recently purchased a ring hoping to propose marriage on that trip. They were going to spend their lives together, and now their lives were cut short. Their families would have celebrated with them, been there with them throughout their journey, and will now tragically accompany them as they are laid to rest.
There will be time to analyze this act of terrorism and examine the impact of this act. While many of us are in shock, others may be less surprised, seeing this as an inevitable outcome of a bubbling reality. Words matter. Just like many were shocked 30 years ago when the vitriol of the anti-Oslo rhetoric culminated in the murder of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, those who have protested with the slogan “Globalize the Intifada” and “From the River to the Sea” ended up with the murder of two young people outside a Jewish event. Of course, we must preserve free speech, but we must also be vigilant that the vitriol and incitement that comes with these slogans can and has now led to bloodshed. This is a nightmare scenario and a senseless murder that should never have happened.
This weekend, in the U.S., we will mark “Memorial Day.” In addition to our BBQs and picnics, let us remember these two victims who fell at the hands of evil and in service of a higher cause. May the memory of Sarah Lynn Milgram and Yaron Lischinsky be for a blessing, and may their murderer be brought to justice.
Shabbat Shalom.