Washington D.C., May 22, 2025 /
17:43 pm
On Wednesday evening, May 21, two Israeli embassy staff members were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
“This senseless act of violence is a sobering reminder of the deadly consequences of antisemitism,” Students Supporting Israel (SSI) at The Catholic University of America (CUA) said in a press release.
The two embassy staffers killed were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American. The young couple was about to be engaged, Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said at a press conference. He added Lischinsky planned to propose next week in Jerusalem.
Police authorities in the nation’s capital reported that the suspect, Elias Rodriguez, admitted to the killings and yelled “Free, free Palestine” while in police custody.
“Antisemitism in the U.S. is at an all-time high, with Washington, D.C., now shaken by this act of hate,” SSI at CUA said. “CUA continues to advocate for greater awareness, stronger protections, and unambiguous condemnation of antisemitic violence in all forms.”
“We stand in unwavering solidarity with the Jewish community; on our campus, in our city, and around the world.”
Philos Catholic, an arm of the Philos Project that fosters Catholic-Jewish relations, noted that the couple “was attending an event for young diplomats that focused on providing humanitarian aid to those in need and building bridges across national and religious lines” just prior to the attack.
“They were living out the core commands of the Bible: to do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” Philos Catholic said in a statement shared with CNA. “They modeled the heart of diplomats from Israel — the nation that gave the world the Bible, the book that teaches us how God expects us to live and act toward one another.”
On Thursday, Philos Catholic organized a vigil to honor the two lives lost. Christians and Jews gathered outside the museum where the attack took place to offer flowers and notes. The museum is across the street from Holy Rosary Catholic Church in the city’s northwest quadrant. Several held signs that said: “Christians and Jews united against hate.”
In a statement, the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Robert McElroy, said: “The Catholic community of Washington and Maryland stands in prayer, shock, and solidarity with the families of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, with the people of Israel, and with the entire Jewish community, which has been attacked in this act of antisemitic hatred and murder.”
“Let us profoundly deepen our prayers and our commitment to root out hate in our midst whenever and wherever it surfaces,” McElroy added.
In tandem with McElroy, New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan declared: “We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters in this moment of pain, praying that all may live in the peace and security that God surely intends for us.”
“May their memory be a blessing. As has been so evident in these last months and years, antisemitism is still pervasive in our country and our world, and the Catholic community in New York today renews our resolve to working to eradicate this evil,” Dolan concluded.
Tessa Gervasini is an intern for Catholic News Agency and a fellow of the College Fix. She recently graduated from Texas Christian University with a bachelor’s degree in strategic communication.
