This past September, What Came After host Manya Marcus sat down with Jojo and Yoni Kalin, a married couple from Washington, D.C., who were present at the Capital Jewish Museum on the tragic evening of May 21, 2025 — the night two Israeli embassy staffers, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, were murdered by a man who, when apprehended, shouted, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.”

Jojo had helped organize the event that night — the American Jewish Committee’s annual Young Diplomats Reception. The theme was “Turning Pain into Purpose,” focusing on humanitarian diplomacy and efforts to build bridges amid the Israel–Hamas conflict. The murders that followed felt unbearably senseless and stood in stark contrast to the spirit of the evening.

In this conversation, Jojo and Yoni reflect on their experiences that night — including their brief, bewildering interactions with the attacker — and how they’ve processed the trauma since.

Jojo, who converted to Judaism, shares how this tragedy deepened her commitment to the Jewish faith and community, even as she wrestles with fears about raising future children in a tradition that can carry such risk. She also speaks about becoming a conversion mentor and her admiration for those choosing Judaism in the wake of October 7th.

Yoni, raised in a progressive Jewish home steeped in interfaith dialogue and activism, describes a growing sense of political homelessness after October 7th, and how he has grappled with what he calls the “hardening of [his] heart” since May 21st — as he comes to terms with the painful realization that, in America in 2025, being Jewish can come at a very steep cost.

Credits:

Host and Creator: Manya Marcus

Managing Producer: Eli Akselrod

Editor and Producer: Ben Wallick

Editor 2: Eli Akselrod

Logo Design: Samuel Vilemar

Outro Music: Noah · האילנות 41

Listen on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠⁠Apple Music