May Their Memories Become Blessings

What follows is my sermon memorializing Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lifschinsky.

I want to talk about Sarah and Yaron. I don’t want to talk about the antisemite who murdered them or the antisemitic hate that fed his rage or continues to give license to such brutality.

On this Shabbat, and in this sanctuary, I do not wish to dwell on a simple, but unmistakable truth and it is this. When chants of “Free Palestine” become synonymous with murdering two souls, one a young Jew and the other a young Christian, simply because they were leaving a Jewish event held at a Jewish museum then not only is the murderous act antisemitic but so are those words. I hope and pray with all my heart for an independent and free Palestinian state living peacefully alongside the Jewish state of Israel, but that’s not what “Free Palestine” appears to mean to those who shout it. Instead, it too often provides cover for antisemitism and offers fuel to Wednesday’s murders. “Free Palestine” seems to mean not the freeing of Palestine but the destruction of Israel and to far too many the permission to murder Jews.

That truth is not what I want to dwell on tonight. I would rather focus on these two young souls and what I have gleaned about their life’s work, however brief. I want to speak about their beliefs. I wish to say a few words about who Sarah and Yaron were and meditate on what we have lost.

Listen to their own words taken from their LinkedIn profiles. That is the strange thing about the power of social media. People live on. In the virtual world, Sarah and Yaron still speak in the present tense. So let us allow their words, and their dreams, to speak to this week’s terror. Let them respond to our sorrow.

Here are Yaron’s words. He writes, I am a Research Assistant for Middle East and North African Affairs at the Israeli Embassy's Political Department.

As part of my role, I am responsible for keeping the department up to date on important events and trends happening in the Middle East and North Africa, conducting research on topics of interest to our diplomatic staff, liaison with other diplomatic missions, maintaining relationships with the local think tank community and helping to organize delegation visits from various Israeli ministries.

Yaron continues. I'm an ardent believer in the vision that was outlined in the Abraham Accords and believe that expanding the circle of peace with our Arab neighbors and pursuing regional cooperation is in the best interest of the State of Israel and the Middle East as a whole. To this end, I advocate for interfaith dialogue and intercultural understanding. Beyond the Middle East and North Africa, I closely follow political developments in the United States, Europe, and Asia.

I hold a Master's Degree in Government, Diplomacy and Strategy from Reichman University in Herzliya and a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations and Asian Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I am fluent in English, Hebrew, and German, and have basic knowledge of reading, writing, and speaking Japanese.

Having made Aliyah from Germany at the age of 16, I have the privilege of calling both Jerusalem and Nuremberg my home.

Yaron was described as bright, curious and engaged. Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany said, “He was a Christian, a true lover of Israel, served in the IDF, and chose to dedicate his life to the State of Israel and the Zionist cause.” Others called him an idealist who was always trying to do good for the country.

Yaron had planned to propose to Sarah when they visited Jerusalem next week for the holiday of Shavuot. Sarah grew up in the Kansas City suburbs. Her LinkedIn profile reads as follows. I am a dynamic professional with a Master's in International Affairs from American University and a Master’s in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from the United Nation’s University for Peace.

My passion lies at the intersection of peacebuilding, religious engagement, and environmental work. While working with Tech2Peace in Tel Aviv, Israel, I conducted comprehensive research on peacebuilding theory, emphasizing grassroots initiatives in the Israeli-Palestinian communities. My diverse experiences, including facilitating insightful discussions on geopolitics in Israel and Palestine as a Jewish educator, and researching an array of environmental topics in India and Central America, reflect my commitment to fostering understanding between different peoples. With a certification of Religious Engagement in Peacebuilding from the United States Institute of Peace and a skill set spanning policy analysis, religious dialogue, and environmental advocacy, I am eager to contribute to organizations dedicated to bridging divides, promoting religious harmony, and advancing sustainable practices.

Her friends described Sarah as someone who was good at everything she did. Sarah was a gifted student and a devoted friend. She was incredibly funny, witty, sharp and committed to her faith. Another friend added, she was devoted to the mission of bringing peace between Israel and Palestine.

This week’s Torah portion promises a blessing of peace if we but follow God’s commands. The Torah proclaims, “I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down untroubled by anyone; I will give the land respite from vicious beasts, and no sword shall cross your land.” (Leviticus 26)

Here is all I am certain about now: we are two steps farther away from realizing this promised blessing of peace.

On this Shabbat let us proclaim, may the memories of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky become a blessing. May their idealism and their dreams become our reality one day and soon. And let us say, May it be God’s will.