JCRC Statement
August 8, 2025
The following is a statement from Guila Franklin Siegel, chief operating officer of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington.
“The horrific killings of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky showed how extreme antisemitic violence shatters lives in an instant. Our Jewish community continues to feel the pain of their senseless deaths as we keep them, their families, and their colleagues at the Israeli embassy forever in our hearts.
“We welcome and support the announcement from the Department of Justice that their accused killer will face federal murder and hate crimes charges. With Jews in our region and across the country continuing to face unprecedented waves of antisemitic attacks, we hope these charges—which should put to rest the misguided argument that these killings were motivated by politics rather than hatred against Jews—serve as a reminder that perpetrators of antisemitism can and should face severe consequences for their actions. We also urge Congress and the Administration to provide the badly needed increase in federal funding for nonprofit security grants that Jewish and other faith-based institutions need to prevent attacks like this from happening again.
“Sarah and Yaron dedicated their lives to peace and understanding between all people. It is incumbent upon all of us to do our part and follow their example.”