Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim had just attended an event dedicated to promoting peace and reconciliation in our war-torn world. As they left the venue, they were fatally shot by a man shouting “Free Palestine.”
What’s especially striking about this young couple— who were about to be engaged—is that they were Messianic Jews, believers in Yeshua (Jesus). Officials from the Jewish Embassy, where they both worked, described them as deeply loved. Yaron had just purchased a ring and was planning to propose to Sarah the following week. But this is not the end of their story.
Orthodox and Messianic Rabbis Unite at the Funeral
Over a thousand people attended Yaron’s funeral in Israel. But what stood out was not the number of mourners—it was who officiated. In a rare and powerful moment, an Orthodox rabbi and a Messianic rabbi stood together.
In Jewish-Christian relations, Messianic Jews like Yaron and Sarah are often seen as traitors or heretics, shunned by many. They are the ‘elephant in the room’ in Jewish/Christian dialogue. Yet the Orthodox rabbi at the funeral delivered a groundbreaking address, acknowledging that the relationship between Jews and Messianics is not ‘black and white,’ but rather, a spectrum of colour. He even applauded their belief in Yeshua.
Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s Foreign Minister, also spoke at the funeral, calling Yaron “one of us.” This, too, was unprecedented—and deeply encouraging.
Journey of Reconciliation Gains Momentum
Orthodox Rabbi David Nekrutman recently made a profound statement to a Christian audience: “When you Christians are not Christ-centered, we Jews are alone.” This sobering insight must not be overlooked—it is a key to moving forward.
In another significant gesture, evangelical leader Franklin Graham, while handing over the keys to 42 ambulances donated by Samaritan’s Purse to Magen David Adom—valued at over AUD $7.5 million— declared his love for Israel. “I worship a Jew, who is one of you,” he said. These are powerful moments in the journey of reconciliation.
Toward Journey’s End
In a historic and hopeful move, fifty Orthodox rabbis from Israel and around the world issued the following statement:
“After nearly two millennia of mutual hostility and alienation, we Orthodox rabbis who lead communities, institutions, and seminaries in Israel, the United States, and Europe recognise the historic opportunity now before us. We seek to do the will of our Father in Heaven by accepting the hand offered to us by our Christian brothers and sisters. Jews and Christians must work together as partners to address the moral challenges of our era.”
This marks a clear desire to move forward.
The deaths
of Sarah and Yaron have added significant impetus at a critical time in this journey. Yet the path ahead remains long and complex, littered with theological and historical debris that has obstructed reconciliation for millennia.
One crucial checkpoint in this journey is found in the Prologue of John’s Gospel—plumbing the depths of the Logos of God. This concept when understood takes us above and beyond theological barriers to a higher understanding. Philo of Alexandria, the great Jewish thinker who lived at the time of Christ and was a contemporary of the Apostle Paul (himself a bridge- builder between Jew and Gentile), described the Logos as the “Divine intermediary between God and the cosmos.” This was a revolutionary idea from a Jewish perspective and aligns strikingly with John 1:1–2:
“In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Through Him all things were made.”
The profound concept of the Logos offers a potential bridge—though not well understood by many. The deep love and reverence my Jewish brethren hold for the Scriptures (the Tanakh) reflects, perhaps unknowingly, an embrace of the Logos. This is deeply significant and not often considered by Christians.
There are unfathomable mysteries here, but we can rest in the eternal assurance to the obvious answer to Abraham’s great rhetorical question:
“Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
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