Washington, DC [US]: A somber vigil was held outside the White House to honor the memory of Israeli Embassy staff members Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who were tragically shot dead outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC. The gathering was organized by a close friend of the victims and drew individuals from across the community.
Mourners, many holding Israeli and American flags, paid tribute to the slain couple with prayers, reflections, and calls for unity. The mood was heavy with grief and rising concern over the safety of Jews in the United States.
Lisa Kagel, a friend of the Israeli community, shared her pain and outrage with :
“I heard about it almost immediately last night when it happened. I’m pretty connected to the embassy and the people at the embassy, and my first reaction was, oh no, do I know them? Initially, we heard that there was one person dead in multiple casualties, and then we learned as the night unfolded that this young couple was murdered in cold blood while leaving an event that was actually to discuss additional humanitarian aid to Gaza, and then we learned more over the hours that they were both peace activists, who worked for unity amongst Arabs and Israelis.”
Speaking of the broader Jewish community’s reaction, she said:
“Initially, it was just absolute gut-wrenching sadness, then anger because this has been going on in DC and in all the cities across America and the West for 20 months and I personally, I spent a lot of time on Capitol Hill and I’m chased constantly because I wear a magendavid and because I wear a yellow hostage ribbon and because I show my Judaism proudly…”
Kagel did not shy away from expressing concern over Jewish safety in the U.S.:
“Absolutely. I have been for a very long time, even before October 7th. I’ve been calling it out for over a decade in this area in my children’s schools locally, am I more concerned now? Absolutely, because what are we seeing all over the internet after last night? We’re seeing people calling to kill the Zionists on the internet blatantly, kill the Jews.”
Another Israeli-American woman, Sigal, called the shooting “pure anti-Semitism” and criticized what she described as the lack of global empathy and response.
“It’s not about being a Zionist or Jewish or being affiliated with the government or not. This is pure anti-Semitism and it hurts each and every member of the community. We are one people… We never imagined that the whole world going to not support the victims and come after us.”
Sigal stressed that Jewish identity has become a risk factor in public:
“We are afraid to go around… When we go to Uber, we stop speaking Hebrew, that’s our reality. The reality is that we take off all our necklaces with Magen David with the star of David, that is our reality. When we sit in a restaurant, we are wondering if we are being watched by others.”
She also expressed frustration with what she views as governmental inaction:
“Yes, we are afraid. I’m not afraid to say we are afraid… We were screaming for a year and a half and the feds and the DC Police Department and the mayor of DC and everybody around Maryland and around Virginia, no this is not our job to deal with. Yes, we are afraid.”
Sigal added that the community remains united through faith and prayer:
“We have a lot of prayers. talk about that. We also have prayers, and this is what we’ve been singing about unity… So, as a people we unite in strength, not in war, in love, not in hate.”
Reza Farnud, an Iranian-American attending the vigil, denounced the violence and urged collective human unity:
“Although it was two very young innocent Jewish were killed, but humanity has been attacked. And we all have to get together regardless of Jewish or non-Jewish, and we have to fight back.”
Calling on former President Trump, he added:
“We are asking President Trump if he can, if we will, pay attention to this and make sure no negotiation with terrorists. Playing with fire or catching fire is not going to work.”
The suspect, identified by police as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was arrested at the scene after reportedly shouting “Free, Free Palestine” during his arrest. Authorities say he pretended to be a bystander before surrendering and is now in custody. Investigators are probing terrorism and antisemitism as possible motives.
Outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, the national flag flew at half-staff, and security was significantly tightened. A sense of loss and caution continues to grip the Jewish and Israeli community in the U.S. capital.