A little over one year ago, two young diplomats were gunned down in Washington, D.C., as they left the Capital Jewish Museum. Local and national institutions are honoring the victims’ memories.

Sarah Milgrim, 26, and Yaron Lischinsky, 30, had worked at the Israeli Embassy and were soon to be engaged. They were killed by a gunman who opened fire on May 21, 2025, yelling, “Free Palestine!”

The American Jewish Committee — which hosted the young diplomats reception that Milgrim and Lischinsky had been leaving when they were fatally shot — posthumously honored them. American University set up a memorial fund in honor of Milgrim.

Ofir Libshtein Bridge Builder Award

On May 31, the American Jewish Committee awarded Milgrim and Lischinsky the Ofir Libshtein Bridge Builder Award, named for a “beloved kibbutz leader and Israeli advocate for stronger ties with the Jewish Diaspora community” who was killed on Oct. 7, 2023.

Launched in June 2024, the Bridge Builder Award is given to individuals who “exemplify Libshtein’s dedication to forging closer ties between communities, fostering understanding, and promoting peace,” according to a news release.

Milgrim and Lischinsky were “dedicated staffers” at the Israeli Embassy, “passionate about building a better, more connected, and more peaceful future,” according to a May 31 news release.

In 2022, Milgrim traveled to Israel to work with Tech2Peace, an organization that brings Israelis and Palestinians together for technical training and dialogue. She returned to work there the following year as part of her master’s thesis.

“Like Ofir’s, Sarah and Yaron’s legacy is far greater than the hatred that stole them from us,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said. “It is defined by what they devoted their lives to: bringing people together across differences, borders, and identities and building a Middle East rooted in coexistence and understanding.

“Sarah and Yaron’s work at the Israeli Embassy reflected this commitment every day by choosing engagement over withdrawal and hope for a better future over fear — even in the most difficult and tumultuous times. In Jewish tradition, memory carries responsibility. To remember is not only to speak their names, but to honor their lives through action. AJC is committed to carrying on this legacy.”

Sarah Milgrim Memorial Fund

The American University School of International Service announced the Sarah Milgrim Memorial Fund to honor the life and legacy of the AU alumna. Milgrim earned a dual master’s degree in international affairs and natural resources and sustainable development in 2023.

She split her time between AU and the United Nations-affiliated University for Peace in Costa Rica.

The memorial fund will support SIS graduate students working at the intersection of environment, peace, conflict resolution and “related fields of study and service that were central to Sarah’s work and close to her heart.”

“Sarah’s commitment to service, desire to connect across differences, and willingness to tackle hard problems exemplifies how so many SIS students and alumni seek to engage in the world,” SIS interim dean Rachel Robinson told the university.

“The Sarah Milgrim Memorial Fund will not only celebrate her legacy but also help ensure current students can access experiences that help them in their journeys to make a difference in the world.”

Milgrim’s family hopes to continue her peacebuilding work through this memorial fund.

“We want people to remember her for the good person that she was,” Milgrim’s mother, Nancy Milgrim, told AU. “Sarah had opportunities … and those experiences helped her to be a more well-rounded person.”

Nancy Milgrim spoke to her daughter’s study abroad program in India while attending the University of Kansas, then her time at UPEACE in Costa Rica.

“We want other students to have those same opportunities that she had and keep going with the kind of work she was doing,” Nancy Milgrim said.

Sarah Milgrim Justice in Action Scholarship

The Jewish Community Relations Bureau and AJC Kansas City established the Sarah Milgrim Justice in Action Scholarship May 21. Through the annual scholarship, JCRB/AJC aims to empower the next generation of Jewish leaders to pursue justice-oriented work and action, according to the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle.

“The scholarship recognizes one or more outstanding students, as funding allows, who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing social justice, combating antisemitism, fostering intercommunity and interfaith understanding and/or engaging in civic leadership or advocacy,” JCRB/AJC wrote in the news release.

The scholarship is intended to support student-led projects, initiatives, programs, travel experiences or other educational opportunities that further the student’s work in these areas, the news release stated.

Applications for the scholarship closed May 26.

zbell@midatlanticmedia.com