Metro Atlanta woman killed while serving in Jerusalem honored at ceremony
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. - Hundreds of people gathered in Sandy Springs on Monday night for a ceremony to honor a Dunwoody native who was killed while serving in the Israeli Army.
Sgt. Rose Ida Lubin, 20, was raised in metro Atlanta, but after graduating from Dunwoody High School in 2021, she packed her bags and moved to Israel where she joined the Border Police.
In November, a 16-year-old Palestinian attacked her and another officer on patrol by Herod's Gate, according to the Jerusalem Post. Israeli officials have called it a terrorist attack. Lubin did not survive her injuries.
On Monday, the Friends of the IDF held a fundraiser for the Israeli Army and a ceremony to remember the metro Atlanta woman.
A large group of protesters also gathered across the street from the City Springs Theater calling for a ceasefire.
(Courtesy of Friends of the IDF)
Inside, speakers praised Lubin for her efforts during the Oct. 7 attack as well as on Nov. 6.
"All she wanted to do was protect people," father David Lubin said.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet paid tribute to Lubin at the podium.
"The name Rose Lubin is going to go down in history as a link of the eternal chain of the Jewish people," he said.
Bennet called the Dunwoody woman a hero.
"It put it all in perspective that she didn’t die for nothing. She died saving people’s lives, and that's what she did and that her memory is going to carry on to future generations," David Lubin said.
Rose's mother, Robin Lubin, said it was an incredible moment.
"It was very comforting, and I’m so honored to have met him," she said.
20-year-old Dunwoody woman killed in Israel
An Atlanta family is now being touched by tragedy as the ongoing war in the Middle East continues. Twenty-year-old Rose Lubin died Monday defending Israel. She graduated from Dunwoody High School in 2021. Her family is getting ready to make the several thousand-mile journey to say their goodbyes.
The fundraiser and protest come as hopes for another temporary truce have faded after Israel called its negotiators home over the weekend. Hamas said talks on releasing more of the scores of hostages seized by militants on Oct. 7 must be tied to a permanent cease-fire.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said the death toll in the territory since Oct. 7 has surpassed 15,890, with more than 41,000 wounded. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths but said 70% of the dead were women and children.
Israel says it targets Hamas operatives and blames civilian casualties on the militants, accusing them of operating in residential neighborhoods. It claims to have killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence. Israel says at least 81 of its soldiers have died.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.