‘She was the perfect child’: Sarah Milgrim’s parents speak on her life and legacy
Washington D.C. (KCTV) - It’s been two weeks since a targeted shooting outside the Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. left a young couple dead.
Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were two Israeli embassy employees killed in an act of terror as they left the museum on May 21st.
Milgrim’s death hits home especially hard here in Kansas City, she was a Prairie Village native. On Wednesday, Milgrim’s family shared exclusively with CBS News about their heartbreaking loss and the work Sarah was doing. Most of all, what they wanted everyone to know was how Sarah’s life was filled with love..
“She was the perfect child. We never argued about anything...She loved the environment, loved, loved Mother Earth...she loved people. She loved family. She loved her community,” said her father, Bob Milgrim.
Sarah’s first love was falling for Israel after her Bat Mitzvah in Jerusalem, which brought her back to the country again in college.
She returned again as part of a work-study program called TECH2Peace for Israelis and Palestinians.
“She’s not a tech person. right. So, you know, she learned some things, but really she was involved with the social immersion between bringing all the people together,” said her mother, Nancy Milgrim.
After grad school, Sarah landed at the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C., where she met her greatest love, her boyfriend Yaron Lischinsky.
“We saw their love blossom for each other, and we knew how strong it was, so we were hoping that they would be getting married,” said Bob.
The two had plans to get engaged, but those plans took a tragic turn.
On the night of May 21st, the couple was brutally gunned down moments after attending a diplomatic event, discussing how to get more aid into Gaza.
“Sarah wasn’t against the Palestinians. She wasn’t against the people in Gaza. She was in all her heart working towards finding a way for everyone to live together peacefully,” said Nancy, holding back tears.
Sarah’s brother Jacob said nothing is more important than life and the sanctity of life in Judaism.
“So what end is this fighting and sacrifice? What does it accomplish? Taking my sister, it’s not going to accomplish anything.”
The family is still struggling to process the tremendous loss. Sarah was a true light to their family, they wonder how they’ll find their way out of the pain.
“You know, usually a parent tries to mold her child. Sarah molded us. She was a stronger person than I ever was,” said Bob. “I told Nancy after this happened that I’m, I’m a different person now than before this happened, happened from learning, but from learning so much about what Sarah did and her courage.”
The Milgrims said they are keeping in touch with the Lischinsky family in Israel. They have plans to visit the country in the fall, to meet Yaron’s family and to visit his grave.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
