Together in Grief, Together in Resolve

To our community,

We are devastated at the loss of Sarah Milgrim (הי״ד).  and Yaron Lischinsky (הי״ד).

Through our work with the Fund for Women and Girls at the Jewish Community Foundation, we had the pleasure of working closely with Sarah for the On Land and Online: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence and the Social Media Battlefield event last month. She was a light for peace and hope, sharing joy with an unwavering belief in a better world.

We condemn this heinous act of violence in the strongest terms and stand in solidarity with Sarah’s and Yaron’s families, friends, and colleagues during this time of unbearable grief. We will honor their memories by redoubling our efforts to combat hate, foster dialogue, and empower our Jewish community to lead with compassion, strength, and resilience.

In this moment of profound grief, we are touched by the call for peace, the recognition of humanity, and strength of our community as echoed in the message below from Federation CEO Gil Preuss and Board President Robin Hettleman.

May their memories be a blessing—and a source of light.

Debby Ratner-Salzberg
President, Jewish Community Foundation  

Sara Brenner
Executive Director, Jewish Community Foundation 

From: Robin Hettleman Weinberg and Gil Preuss <info@shalomdc.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 22
Subject: We Grieve Together. We Stand Together.

Last night, two young members of our community, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, were murdered in an antisemitic attack in Washington, DC.

They were peacebuilders—deeply committed to fostering understanding, repairing divides, and creating a more just and compassionate world. Sarah was a beloved member of our extended Federation family, known personally by several on our team. Yaron was planning on proposing to Sarah. Their life together was just beginning to take shape.

And it was stolen by hate.

We grieve. We rage. We feel afraid.

It is in our shared pain and the deep connection we find in one another—in our Jewish community—that we begin to heal.

We are in close contact with local and federal law enforcement. Our partners in law enforcement are answering the call to increase presence around Jewish institutions. Our JShield security team is on high alert and working around the clock to protect our community.

The Jewish community of Greater Washington is strong. We stand in solidarity in our commitment to combat hate.

We are shaken—but we are not alone. And we will move forward—together.

May their memories be for a blessing—and a source of strength.

With broken hearts and unbreakable resolve,

Robin and Gil

Robin Hettleman Weinberg
President, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington 

Gil Preuss
CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Washington

Photo Credit: The Milgrim Family via The New York Times