Mourning Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky

Jessica Zmood, Psy.D.
May 30
2 min read

Updated: Jun 23

Dear Gesher Campus Care Community,

Last week-like so many over the past 600 days-was a wave of joy, heartbreak, and reflection.

Jessica and I began the week with pride and celebration, marching up 5th Avenue with Kesher Shalom Project and the AJMA. We sang, danced, and embraced the strength and spirit of our Jewish identity.

By midweek, we were in tears over the senseless murder of two young people we never met-Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky-killed simply for attending a Jewish event hosted by the American Jewish Committee. Their lives were devoted to peace and understanding. Their loss is a devastating reminder of the rising tide of anti-Israel and antisemitic hate-and how vulnerable we all feel.

On Thursday, between therapy sessions and tears, Jessica and I leaned on one another.

We cried. We grieved. But we also remembered: community is where healing begins. We created a space that evening-just a simple Zoom link-and invited fellow GCC therapists, artists, professors, and friends to gather. We listened, we spoke, we held space for one another.

And for that hour, we felt seen, supported, and not so alone.

This is what Gesher Campus Care is about.

In grief, we grow. In struggle, we build resilience. In community, we begin to heal.

When we show up for each other, our tears become sacred. Our compassion becomes strength. We remember who we are-and how powerful we are together.

You are not alone. We are not alone.

Gesher Campus Care is here.