|
After the DC Jewish Museum Attack
Reflections from a Funeral: A Letter to the ADL Community from ADL Israel Managing Director Carole Nuriel
This past week, I had the heartbreaking privilege of attending the funeral of Yaron Lischinsky z”l, a young Israeli diplomat whose life was filled with promise, purpose and a deep commitment to serving the state of Israel.
In the quiet cemetery of Beit Zayit, a village in the Jerusalem hills, hundreds gathered — people who knew Yaron and his family from different circles. From Israel’s foreign minister to embassy colleagues, friends and family members — all shared stories and memories of Yaron as soft weeping echoed through the crowd.
As we heard in the eulogies, though still early in his professional journey, Yaron had already made a remarkable impact. As a staff member at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, Yaron believed wholeheartedly in diplomacy, in the power of relationships and in the vision of a new Middle East. Even in his final moments, he was surrounded by fellow diplomats, speaking about the future of the region he so deeply cared for.
Yaron and his partner Sarah were a source of light to all who knew them. They were supposed to visit Israel the week after the attack in order to get engaged. Instead, Yaron was buried in Jerusalem and Sarah in Kansas.
May their memory be a blessing.
ANALYSIS: Some Anti-Zionists Celebrate and Justify the Killings
ADL researchers analyzed
the response by many anti-Zionist activists to the double murder of two Israeli embassy staffers at a reception for diplomats and Jewish young professionals at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. — a mix of outright celebration, glee and justification for the killings. Some even called for additional violence and praised the murder suspect as a hero of the anti-Zionist movement.
Reactions from various other extremists and conspiracy theorists have also included antisemitic accusations and immediate claims of a “false flag” operation.
The suspect, 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, Illinois, was taken into custody the night of May 21, shouting, “Free, free Palestine,” after fatally shooting Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Rodriguez told police who arrived at the scene, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.”
→ Read more about this.
More ADL Resources:
Take Action with ADL:
The White House must secure resources to protect Jewish institutions, ensure the prosecution of antisemitic crimes, address antisemitism in our schools, disrupt online hate and combat hate crimes. Click here to join ADL in urging the White House to act now to keep Jewish communities across America safe.
NEW ADL REPORT: The State of Antisemitism in Independent K-12 Schools Since 10/7
Jewish families at independent/private K-12 schools are facing many challenges related to antisemitism and ongoing institutional shortcomings in addressing these issues. To address the failures of many independent K-12 schools to confront antisemitism, ADL is launching a new initiative to support parents, providing them with the resources needed to urge their schools to take action and adopt best practices.
The new report from the ADL Ratings and Assessments Institute and its Ronald Birnbaum Center to Combat Antisemitism in Education reveals a widespread problem in independent schools. Nearly one-third of surveyed parents said that since 10/7, they identified problematic curricula and classroom content related to Jews and Israel, and even more parents reported that their children experienced or witnessed at least one form of antisemitism.
-
TOOLS FOR PARENTS: Explore a curated selection of resources including a templated letter to send to school leaders, ways to report concerns and get help, and guidance on common antisemitic issues.
-
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOLS: Six Asks covering immediate steps that independent K-12 schools must take to ensure Jewish students are safe, supported and able to thrive.
-
TAKE ACTION: Sign a letter to the National Association of Independent Schools urging them to condemn antisemitism and strengthen efforts to eliminate antisemitism from their conferences and materials.
-
WATCH THE SPECIAL EVENT: ADL experts hosted a discussion about how to equip parents and caregivers with strategies to address antisemitism and become supportive partners in your child's independent or private school. You can watch the full video here.
ADL is also hosting two sessions with the organization Jewish Leaders in Schools to help parent leaders of groups for Jewish families (or equivalents) in independent K-12 schools address antisemitism and promote Jewish inclusion.
→ Register for June 4 meeting.
→ Register for June 5 meeting.
|
