On Wednesday's Murders at Washington DC’s Capital Jewish Museum
Thursday, May 22, 2025 - New York, NY: Arieh Lebowitz, Executive Director of the Jewish Labor Committee, issued the following statement earlier today:
We are horrified and heartbroken at the murder Wednesday evening of Yaron Lischinsky an Israeli, and Sarah Milgrim, an American, as they were leaving an event at Washington, DC’s Capital Jewish Museum. These two young people, who were about to be engaged, were staff people at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC.
We send our heartfelt condolences to the families and co-workers of Mr. Lischinsky and Ms Milgrim, and all whose lives were impacted by this hateful criminal act.
Such violence cannot be tolerated, excused, or rationalized in a democratic society. As we have seen in recent years, hate-speech all too often leads to violence. Antisemitism, on the rise in the United States and around the world, must be condemned, and as we do so, we call on all of our colleagues and friends to do so as well. It has already taken a toll in fear and division, and we cannot let those who promote it win against community and solidarity.
The victims were killed as an act of antisemitic terrorism. We cannot permit violence to sabotage our hopes for an end to the war in Gaza, and for an ultimate peace between Palestinians and Israelis.
It's ironic that the victims had just attended an event about “turning pain into purpose,” with members of the Multifaith Alliance and IsraAID nonprofits, exploring how a coalition of organizations - from the region and for the region - are working together in response to humanitarian crises throughout the Middle East – making these murders all the more senseless.