Latest news with #Birger
Hamilton Spectator
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Kansas community holds private memorial for Israeli Embassy staffer killed in DC ambush
Family and friends of Sarah Milgrim, one of two Israeli Embassy staffers fatally shot last week in an apparently politically motivated ambush in Washington, D.C., gathered for her funeral Tuesday in the Kansas community where she grew up. Milgrim, a 26-year-old from the Kansas City suburb of Prairie Village, Kansas, was leaving a reception for young diplomats at the Capital Jewish Museum alongside 30-year-old Yaron Lischinsky on May 21 when they were shot to death. A suspect , 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, was arrested and shouted 'Free Palestine' as he was led away. Charging documents said he later told police, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.' Lischinsky had bought an engagement ring before the shooting and was planning to propose to Milgrim in the coming days, those who knew the couple have said. Instead of an upcoming wedding, those close to Milgrim prepared to eulogize her at a private service Tuesday at Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, Kansas, the temple she attended through high school with her family. Milgrim earned a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Kansas in 2021. She was remembered as a warm, uplifting presence at Shabbat dinners and holiday gatherings at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life on campus. 'She believed in connections, in building community and bringing people together,' Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel said in the days after her death. He also recalled that she 'was filled with so much love.' After graduating, Milgrim worked at at a Tel Aviv-based organization centered on technology training and conflict dialogue for young Palestinians and Israelis, according to her LinkedIn profile. She had been trained in religious engagement and peacebuilding by the United States Institute of Peace, an organization that promotes conflict resolution and was created by the U.S. Congress. After earning a master's degree in international affairs from American University in 2023, she went to work at the Israeli Embassy, where her job involved organizing events and missions to Israel. A vigil held in her hometown last week drew a standing-room only crowd, including her college roommate, Amanda Birger. Birger described Milgrim as an animal lover and a passionate advocate for the environment. 'She was very tactful about how she used her voice, which sometimes came off as cautious,' Birger said. 'But when it looked like she wasn't speaking up, it's because she was trying to keep the peace.' Milgrim would have been teenager when her Kansas community was rocked by another deadly antisemitic attack in 2014. Frazier Glenn Miller Jr., an avowed anti-Semite and white supremacist, fatally shot three people at two Jewish sites in Overland Park in April of that year. At his trial, Miller openly stated that he targeted Jews for death — though none of his victims were Jewish. Miller was convicted in August 2015 and later sentenced to death. Sheila Katz, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, lauded Milgrim as a point person for her organization with women's groups, LGBTQ communities and multi-faith groups. 'She accomplished so much in her short life, and she deserves to be remembered for all the things she brought to this world,' she said. Before her work at the embassy, Milgrim was studying whether friendships between Arabs and Israelis could promote peace, Katz said. 'We knew something like this could happen,' she said. 'I just don't think we thought it would happen to her.'
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kansas community holds private memorial for Israeli Embassy staffer killed in DC ambush
Family and friends of Sarah Milgrim, one of two Israeli Embassy staffers fatally shot last week in an apparently politically motivated ambush in Washington, D.C., gathered for her funeral Tuesday in the Kansas community where she grew up. Milgrim, a 26-year-old from the Kansas City suburb of Prairie Village, Kansas, was leaving a reception for young diplomats at the Capital Jewish Museum alongside 30-year-old Yaron Lischinsky on May 21 when they were shot to death. A suspect, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, was arrested and shouted 'Free Palestine' as he was led away. Charging documents said he later told police, "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.' Lischinsky had bought an engagement ring before the shooting and was planning to propose to Milgrim in the coming days, those who knew the couple have said. Instead of an upcoming wedding, those close to Milgrim prepared to eulogize her at a private service Tuesday at Congregation Beth Torah in Overland Park, Kansas, the temple she attended through high school with her family. Milgrim earned a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Kansas in 2021. She was remembered as a warm, uplifting presence at Shabbat dinners and holiday gatherings at the Chabad Center for Jewish Life on campus. 'She believed in connections, in building community and bringing people together,' Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel said in the days after her death. He also recalled that she 'was filled with so much love.' After graduating, Milgrim worked at at a Tel Aviv-based organization centered on technology training and conflict dialogue for young Palestinians and Israelis, according to her LinkedIn profile. She had been trained in religious engagement and peacebuilding by the United States Institute of Peace, an organization that promotes conflict resolution and was created by the U.S. Congress. After earning a master's degree in international affairs from American University in 2023, she went to work at the Israeli Embassy, where her job involved organizing events and missions to Israel. A vigil held in her hometown last week drew a standing-room only crowd, including her college roommate, Amanda Birger. Birger described Milgrim as an animal lover and a passionate advocate for the environment. 'She was very tactful about how she used her voice, which sometimes came off as cautious,' Birger said. 'But when it looked like she wasn't speaking up, it's because she was trying to keep the peace.' Milgrim would have been teenager when her Kansas community was rocked by another deadly antisemitic attack in 2014. Frazier Glenn Miller Jr., an avowed anti-Semite and white supremacist, fatally shot three people at two Jewish sites in Overland Park in April of that year. At his trial, Miller openly stated that he targeted Jews for death — though none of his victims were Jewish. Miller was convicted in August 2015 and later sentenced to death. Sheila Katz, CEO of the National Council of Jewish Women, lauded Milgrim as a point person for her organization with women's groups, LGBTQ communities and multi-faith groups. 'She accomplished so much in her short life, and she deserves to be remembered for all the things she brought to this world,' Before her work at the embassy, Milgrim was studying whether friendships between Arabs and Israelis could promote peace, Katz said. 'We knew something like this could happen,' she said. 'I just don't think we thought it would happen to her.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
Tributes continue for Sarah Milgrim after antisemitic shooting in D.C.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Tributes are still pouring in for 26-year-old Sarah Milgrim, a Kansas native whose life was cut short last week in what the FBI says was a targeted antisemitic attack in Washington, D.C. Milgrim and her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, were gunned down Wednesday night. The FBI is investigating the attack as a hate crime. While the nation processes yet another act of senseless violence, those who knew Sarah are remembering the person she was warm, witty, deeply empathetic and fiercely proud of her Jewish identity. Kansas leaders not planning on extending STAR Bonds At a vigil held in her memory, Milgrim's best friend, Amanda Birger, shared stories of their bond—one that spanned years and felt more like family than friendship. 'I want people to speak about who she was, how wonderful she was, and how much we care about others,' Birger said. 'She was smart and funny and empathetic.' Birger described Sarah as a natural peacemaker and someone who could light up a room, not with volume, but with presence. 'She would wait for her moment and be quiet for like 30 minutes,' Birger said. 'But then punch in with like the funniest thing I've ever heard.' Sarah and Yaron had been planning a future together, friends say. The couple had even talked about getting engaged. Birger described Yaron as, 'One of the smartest people I've ever met. He spoke several languages.' She added, 'He was the perfect partner for Sarah—he was very smart, which she loved.' 1 critical after being shot in Westport, attempted drive to hospital: KCPD Details about memorial services for Sarah and Yaron have not yet been announced. FOX4 will share updates as soon as they become available. The Shawnee Mission School District, where Sarah graduated from Shawnee Mission East, also released a statement mourning her loss. That statement reads: Yesterday, we received the devastating news that Sarah Milgrim, a 2017 graduate of Shawnee Mission East High School, was killed in a senseless act of violence in Washington DC. We are devastated, for Sarah, for her partner Yaron, for her family, and for all who knew her in the Shawnee Mission East community and beyond. While the investigation is ongoing, early reports suggest this was a targeted act of violence motivated by antisemitism. I know I speak for all in the Shawnee Mission community when I say hatred in any form is unacceptable. Violence is never the answer. There is much that divides us in this nation, and in our world, but it is NEVER acceptable to settle our differences with violence. 'An 'eye for an eye' leaves the whole world blind.' That this act appears to have been motivated by antisemitic hate makes the tragedy even more horrifying. The American Experiment was begun by people who were fleeing religious persecution, and the freedom to exercise our religious faith without fear of harm is literally written into our constitution. Many of our Jewish families in Shawnee Mission emigrated to this country specifically to escape the horrors of the Holocaust, and unfortunately, even our own community has not been immune to the horrors of antisemitic hate. Friends, we cannot allow this to be who we are becoming, either as individuals or as a society. We are a broad, diverse society, but we can never allow our differences to spill over into hate. If we do, we are all wounded. Sarah's death is a huge loss for all of us. She had already earned masters degrees in natural resources and sustainable development, and in international affairs. She was just beginning to make her mark on the world. I urge you not to allow her death to go unnoticed. Sarah believed this world is for everyone. All of us must find ways to reach across our differences, to work together for the better world we all crave. Let's do this for Sarah. May her memory be for a blessing. Sarah Milgrim's memory is already inspiring a community to speak louder, love harder, and stand up against hate in all its forms. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Medieval ‘testicle dagger' lives up to its name
Nearly eight years of excavation work at a medieval fortress in Gothenburg, Sweden has yielded a number of revealing archeological finds. But one item stands out among the crossbow arrows, beer taps, and cookware—a 15th century 'testicle dagger' whose name makes sense once you see its design. Sweden's Gullberg hill served as a strategic military outpost for hundreds of years and is one of the country's most important historical defensive compounds. Overlooking Göta River, the area long functioned as the nation's sole direct access point for the North Sea while the rest of the western coast remained under the domain of Denmark-Norway. The very first structures were erected under the direction of King Birger in 1285, but by 1455 'Gullbergs hus' (literally 'Gullberg's house') had fallen deep enough into disrepair to warrant a rebuild. Gullberg Castle was sacked twice, once by the Danes in 1523 during the Swedish War of Liberation and again in 1612 amid the Kalmar War. The fortress was reconstructed a final time in 1692 and formally renamed Westgötha Leijon, or the Westrogothic Lion. Only in 1822 was the compound finally decommissioned. In present-day Gothenburg, the need for a new train station along Sweden's Västlänken line necessitated renewed archeological surveys at Westgötha Leijon between 2014 and 2023. Despite previous examinations around the site, the most recent outings still surprised researchers. 'We didn't think there would be as much left as there was,' Anders Altner, an archeologist at the State Historical Museum, explained in a statement. Architectural finds included remnants of houses, earthworks, and walls, as well as a fortress gate and a tower basement. According to Alter, the buildings were erected using a mixture of components like stone, brick, earthen ramparts, and timber. While the first building dates back as early as the 14th century, many of the individual objects discovered by archeologists ranged between the 15th and 17th centuries. These included weaponry like light cannons and pistols, along with artifacts from daily life such as a limestone sundial, beer taps, a soup spoon, and a sand spreader—a palm-sized perforated canister used for sprinkling fine sand over newly written documents to soak up excess ink. Then there's the testicle dagger. Although its iron blade is broken and significantly chipped, the wooden hilt crafted from curly birch remains in surprisingly excellent condition. Its decorative designwork leaves little to the imagination and answers any lingering questions about how the weapon earned its nickname. Even for a knife, the overall shape is particularly phallic, with a penis-like pommel and two decorative, testicle-like orbs above the grip. As Arkeonews explains, many experts believe its wielder wore their dagger 'in a manner befitting its suggestive shape.' But aside from its explicit imagery, the testicle dagger likely served its owner beyond pure ornamentation. The handle's design, while 'Not Safe For Work' by today's standards, would have offered a better grip and additional force when attempting to damage an opponent's armor. Combined with the other, less-phallic weapon artifacts, the testicle dagger helps to better contextualize life at the frequently besieged Gullberg Castle and later Westrogothic Lion redoubt. With excavations largely complete, the fortress artifacts (yes, including the dagger) are currently on display at the Historical Museum in Stockholm through January 2026. For those who can't get over to Sweden in time, there's also an exhibition booklet available online.
