The father of an American woman killed as she and her boyfriend left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. Wednesday night spoke to NBC News just hours after learning of his daughter’s tragic death.
Robert Milgrim described his daughter as one who loved all aspects of life. She was passionate about people, animals and Israel.
Sarah Milgrim, a 26-year-old from Kansas, had devoted her burgeoning career to bringing people together to look for ways to promote peace and combat climate change, those who knew her say.
Her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, a 30-year-old Israeli citizen who spent some of his childhood in Germany, had a deep attachment to Israel and an interest in bridging cultural and religious divides.
Lischinsky had bought an engagement ring and was just days away from proposing on a planned trip to Jerusalem, according to Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.
“They met early on, dated and their relationship grew. They made each other very happy,” Robert Milgrim said. “We grew to love him and they were perfect for each other.”
But the interwoven lives of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were brutally cut short Wednesday evening, when the two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot while leaving a reception for young diplomats at the Capital Jewish Museum.
The suspect told police he “did it for Palestine,” according to court documents filed Thursday as he was charged with murder. He didn’t enter a plea.
Sarah Milgrim hailed from Overland Park, Kansas, where a former youth director at Congregation Beth Torah remembers a brilliant girl with a perpetual smile and a sense of purpose.
“She had a passion for Judaism and for Israel, and she wanted to do some good,” said Marcia Rittmaster, the former youth director. She recommended Milgrim for a Jewish leadership internship upon the young woman’s graduation from high school.
Sarah Milgrim was an active member in the Jewish community, including the Hillel on the University of Kansas campus. While in college, she was also a member of the beekeeper and wildlife rescue clubs.
Milgrim earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies in 2021 and was a warm, uplifting presence at Shabbat dinners and holiday gatherings at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life, according to those who knew her.
“She believed in connections, in building community and bringing people together,” Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel said. He said she loved asking questions, enjoyed insightful conversations and “was filled with so much love.”
Eight years ago, in February of 2017, NBC Chicago’s Lexi Sutter, working as a reporter in Kansas City for KSHB, interviewed Sarah Milgrim about hateful and offensive graffiti that was spraypainted on her high school’s property.
“It’s so ignorant that you would bring out a symbol like that that would bring out pain in so many people and it’s not OK,” Sarah Milgrim said at the time.
Even as a teenager, it was clear Sarah Milgrim was an advocate for her people and her faith.
“You know I worry about going to my synagogue and now I have to worry about safety at my school and that shouldn’t be a thing,” she told Sutter in their 2017 interview.
Sheila Katz, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, said Milgrim was a point person for her organization with women’s groups, LGBTQ communities and multi-faith groups.
“She accomplished so much in her short life, and she deserves to be remembered for all the things she brought to this world,” she said.
Robert Milgrim said he knew his daughter experienced antisemitism.
“She was very strong in dealing with it,” he said. “Her memory, which is a blessing, will continue to be a joy, but it’s not the same of her not being there.”
Before her work at the embassy, Milgrim was studying whether friendships between Arabs and Israelis could promote peace, Katz said.
“We knew something like this could happen,” she said. “I just don’t think we thought it would happen to her.”
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