The Long Island family of one of the two Israeli Embassy employees killed in an alleged antisemitic attack in Washington, D.C. this week are mourning the couple’s deaths.
Leaders of the Community Synagogue in Port Washington said a first cousin of Sarah Lynn Milgrim is a member of the congregation. Milgrim and her fiancé Yaron Lischinsky were gunned down as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum on May 21. The suspect allegedly made pro-Palestinian statements to police upon his arrest.
“This heinous act of anti-Israel and anti-Jewish hate reminds us that as Jews, our fate here is connected with those there in Israel,” the synagogue said in a statement. “Our hearts are broken and angry — for their families, for all in Israel, for the Jews of this country, and for how this act may engender only more hate and increased violence.”
Reported incidents of antisemitic assaults, vandalism, harassment, and related incidents last year rose by 18% in New York, reaching 1,437 in total, according to a recent Anti-Defamation League report.
“This tragic incident highlights the pervasive Jew hatred that continues to afflict our society,” Alan Mindel, chair of the Holocaust Memorial and Tolerance Center of Nassau County in Glen Cove, said. “We must not allow fear to silence our voices or diminish our commitment to understanding and respect. Violence has no place in our communities, especially at a museum.”
Nassau County police enhanced security at local houses of worship in the wake of the murders, as did Israeli embassies worldwide.
Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago native, pleaded not guilty in federal court to two counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors termed it an act of terrorism.
“I did it for Palestine,” he allegedly told police when he was taken into custody, Reuters reported. “I did it for Gaza.”
The Community Synagogue noted that the event that the slain diplomats were leaving was “devoted to bringing together Jews, Muslims and Christians from here, Israel, France, and Morocco to advance better relations in North Africa and the Middle East.” Milgrim previously worked at Tech2Peace in Tel Aviv, where she helped research practical ways to have Israelis and Palestinians collaborate.
“We will honor the memory of Sarah and Yaron in our synagogue each Shabbat throughout the coming month, a reminder that our destiny as Jews in the diaspora is bound to those who are in Israel,” the synagogue stated. “We will continue to fight against the antisemitism that cloaks itself in anti-Israel ideology.”
