They were a couple who were about to get engaged, Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said.

“He bought a ring and planned to propose to her in Jerusalem – a beautiful couple who came to spend an evening at Washington’s cultural center,” he said.

Yaron Lischinsky

Lischinsky was born in Germany but moved to Israel at the age of 16. He served as a research assistant in the embassy’s policy department and was responsible for monitoring trends and events in the Middle East and North Africa.

He had a bachelor’s degree in international relations and Asian affairs from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and a master’s degree in diplomacy and conflict studies from Reichman University in Herzliya.

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said he had spoken to Lischinsky’s father, Daniel, on Thursday morning and told him “his son was a warrior on the diplomatic front who fell just like a soldier on the battlefield.”

A fellow student from the Reichman master’s program told The Jerusalem Post Lischinsky was “a special human” and a “great friend... Yaron lived the Israeli dream and was serving his country with great honor.”

Israeli television personality Aaron Morali eulogized Lischinsky, whom he met on a Birthright Israel program.

“Young kids from Germany full of questions about Israel, I’ll never forget how you looked at this country with fire in your eyes and love in your heart,” he wrote on Instagram.

Moral said his friend always told him, “Israel is our home, no matter what.”

“You dedicated your life to serving [your] country, you dedicated your life to peace, to connection, to building bridges, to making people feel seen and loved,” he said.

Lischinsky had a “golden heart” and was “full of light,” Morali said.

Atar Porat, a friend from Model UN (MUN) at Hebrew University, told the Post he didn’t think there was one person who didn’t love Lischinsky.

“He was friendly, polite, erudite, always willing to learn, very humble, just the good guy,” he said.

“It was always a pleasure to see him,” Porat said, adding that his friend had deep-rooted values and believed in peace and dialogue.

Batya Brownstein, another friend from MUN, told the Post: “I was privileged to continue to know him and see how passionate he was about Israel advocacy and diplomacy. Even though we didn’t stay in touch frequently, we did speak from time to time, and I was so proud of his achievements. The way he and Sarah were murdered stands in such stark contrast to the light he shone.”

Sarah Lynn Milgram

Prior to working in the embassy’s public diplomacy department, Jewish-American Sarah Lynn Milgram worked for Tech2Peace, where she researched processes of peace with an emphasis on the roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

She had a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from the University of Kansas, a master’s degree in international affairs from American University, and a master’s degree in natural resources and sustainable development from the University for Peace.

In a post on Instagram, KU Hillel mourned the loss of its "beloved alum."

"Sarah's bright spirit and passion for the Jewish community touched everyone fortunate enough to know her," the post read, noting Milgram's extensive involvement the campus's Jewish community. "Those who were closest to her describe [her] as 'the definition of the best person.'"

KU Chabad noted that it was "still in shock and disbelief" at the news. 

"Sarah was a proud Jewhawk, a graduate of the University of Kansas, and an active, deeply loved member of our KU Jewish community," the post said. "Sarah was a shining light – kind, grateful, and deeply committed to peace and the well-being of others."

On her LinkedIn account, she said her passion was at the intersection of peacebuilding, religious engagement, and environmental work, and that she was “eager to contribute to organizations dedicated to bridging divides, promoting religious harmony, and advancing sustainable practices.”

Milgrim's childhood synagogue, Temple B’nai Jehudah in Overland Park, Kansas, said in a statement that it was brokenhearted to hear of the tragedy. 

"Sarah grew up in our community. She celebrated with us, learned with us, and inspired us with her integrity and purpose. She stood for something larger than herself, and she paid the ultimate price for it," Rabbi Stephanie Kramer wrote in a statement, noting that Milgrim's parents "kvelled and beamed with joy" when they spoke of her. 

"Her commitment wasn’t just professional; it was deeply personal, rooted in her upbringing, her values and her unshakable identity."

"At a time when hate feels close, we respond not with fear, but with unity. Not with silence, but with resolve. Sarah’s life and legacy demand nothing less." 

Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, founder of The Israel Project, said Milgram was a “wonderful leader.”

“She was smart, high energy, kind, and passionate about tikkun olam [fixing the world],” she said. “Recently, I was at a climate event she organized; just last week, I was on the phone with her to do more climate work. She was amazing and had a bright future. May her memory, and that of her fiancé, Yaron Lischinsky, be a blessing always.”

The Embassy of Israel to the USA wrote on X/Twitter: “Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives.

“This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC. The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.”

US Attorney-General Pam Bondi said that Thursday's shooting marked "a horrible day" in the capital and that "violence has to stop" against Jews.