Yarón Lischinsky (30) and Sarah Lynn Milgrim (26), two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington, were murdered Thursday in a shooting attack outside the Jewish Museum in the US capital. The perpetrator, Elias Rodriguez, 31, from Chicago – a far-left activist previously involved in anti-Israeli protests across the US – left behind a manifesto declaring he carried out the attack "as part of the Palestinian struggle."
Lischinsky grew up in Nuremberg, Germany as an Evangelical Christian before moving to Israel in his youth driven by Zionist ideals. Zineb Riboua, a Moroccan researcher based in the US who maintained a close friendship with Lischinsky, shared her grief on social media, writing: "Yarón Lischinskywas the finest friend I've ever had, brilliant, kind, and endlessly thoughtful. A devout Christian and a gifted linguist, he spoke German, Hebrew, and Japanese. He was full of curiosity and always brimming with ideas. I don't think we ever had a conversation that didn't leave me inspired to write something new. He loved America. He was excited about the future, about finally visiting Texas, and about the life he and his beloved fiancée were building together. I was supposed to meet her today. They are both gone. And the loss is immeasurable. The world has lost two extraordinary souls. And I have lost a dear friend who made every moment brighter."
Tom Ziv, former director of the Argaman Institute and doctoral candidate at the Hebrew University, first met Lischinsky when he taught him at the Hebrew University. "He was an undergraduate student in my introduction to international relations course," Ziv recalled in an interview. "During the final class, I mentioned my doctoral dissertation about Israel's support methods in the evangelical world. Afterward, he approached me and revealed he was an evangelical Christian himself and wanted to discuss this further."
This spawned a meaningful relationship that spanned several years. "He became the first evangelical Christian I interviewed face-to-face," Ziv explained. "We maintained regular contact afterward. I frequently consulted with him about evangelicals in general, my research, and even personal matters. I introduced him to the Argaman Institute where I managed various programs. Later, when I became the institute's director, he joined one of our initiatives – a program designed for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students."
Ziv portrays him as "simply a charming and kind-hearted individual. Quiet and modest, yet simultaneously filled with passion and a genuine desire to create change." He added that "if I had to describe him in one word, it would be Zionist. This quality was unmistakably prominent in everything he did."
"We're talking about someone from Germany who identified as Christian, yet chose to come to Israel and serve in the military," Ziv emphasized. "He didn't merely come to complete his service and leave – he genuinely wanted to build his life here." Ziv mentioned that Lischinsky even encouraged his family to immigrate to Israel, "They relocated here. I'm not certain where they reside now, but they were living in Israel at that time."
Following his military service and academic pursuits at both the Hebrew University and Reichman University, Lischinsky embarked on a diplomatic career path. "He truly committed his life to serving the State of Israel, choosing diplomacy as his vehicle for contribution," Ziv explained.
According to Ziv, Lischinsky believed that "diplomacy offered him the greatest opportunity to create meaningful change, leveraging his multilingual abilities, dual citizenship, and what you might call his international perspective to defend Israel and enhance our global position and standing."
At the Israeli embassy in Washington, where he began working in early 2023, Lischinsky served as a research assistant in the political department focusing on Middle East and North Africa issues, while Milgrim worked within the public diplomacy section. Ziv describes a young professional primarily interested in "Zionism, strategy, and diplomacy," alongside philosophy and various other intellectual pursuits. "He was an exceptional student. Quiet, modest, always with a smile. A true role model," Ziv remarked.
Ziv emphasized that Lischinsky's religious convictions played a significant role in shaping his life choices. "He clearly identified as an evangelical Christian," Ziv noted. "To quote him directly, he once told me, 'As a Christian who reads the Bible, support and love for Israel naturally flows from scripture. I cannot imagine it any other way.'"
The final conversation between Ziv and Lischinsky occurred approximately a year ago. "During our last talk, he mentioned wanting to remain in Washington a bit longer before eventually returning to Israel. He envisioned his future here." His diplomatic ambitions remained evident even then. "In that final conversation, I asked him directly whether he saw his future in diplomacy. He confirmed that he did."
Ziv becomes visibly emotional while reflecting on Lischinsky's legacy. "Without exaggeration – many Israelis and Jews could learn profound lessons about Zionism from people like him. He demonstrated what it means to embrace Zionist ideals without cynicism."
