About Rose Lubin, z”l
Sergeant Rose Ida Lubin, of blessed memory, was an Atlanta, Georgia native who attended public school, actively participated in her local Jewish Student Union, and enjoyed summers at Camp Nageela East JEP. Rose was a poet, playwright, illustrator, musician, singer, actress, dancer, and volunteer. She was a 2021 graduate from Dunwoody high school; champion wrestler, varsity cheerleader, and lover of horses and thrifting. 18 year-old Rose Lubin fulfilled her dream of joining the Israeli Defense Forces, graduated at the top of her IDF training class, and became a certified fitness instructor to help other soldiers meet rigorous physical requirements.
She successfully completed Ulpan and was trained in combat, specialized in fighting terrorism, and was deployed as a border policewoman. She was training to become an IDF commander.
“There are generations of my family who could have been here today if there was an Israel during the Holocaust,” Rose said in a speech at the 2023 FIDF Dinner in Atlanta, where she was honored. “I feel an obligation to them to fulfill the opportunities they didn’t have. It’s our duty to watch over the Jews who are living the dream of walking to the kotel (Western Wall) on Shabbat. If you ever stroll through the Damascus Gate, toss me a high five and I will welcome you,” she said.
Off-duty for Simchat Torah on October 7, 2023, 20-year-old lone soldier Rose Lubin sought permission from the Rapid Response Team of Kibbutz Sa’ad, where she lived, to help protect the community. She immediately changed into her uniform, grabbed her weapon, and helped defend her community near the Gaza border from the murderous Hamas attack. Rose then rushed to assist other communities, removing the injured to safety, and fighting the terrorist onslaught. Rose fought throughout October 7th until she was called back to Jerusalem and her duties with the Border Police. With Rose’s help, the terrorists were successfully prevented from infiltrating Kibbutz Sa’ad.
“We were in contact with her that entire day on Saturday and heard about the horrors she had witnessed, but that did not break her spirit,” her commander said. “We offered to allow her time off to recuperate, but she insisted on resuming her duties and said she was more motivated to protect civilians.”
Just weeks after the now infamous Hamas attack, Rose Lubin lost her life in a subsequent terrorist attack on November 6, 2023. She was guarding the Shalem police station near the Damascus Gate, of which she had so warmly spoken, one of the entrances to the Old City of Jerusalem.
Sgt. Rose Lubin was buried with full military honors at the Mount Herzl Cemetery in Jerusalem, at a funeral attended by many thousands of mourners, including fellow soldiers, high-ranking military leaders, and dignitaries of the State of Israel.
Her brother, Alec, who was best friends with Rose, eulogized her, saying: “Rose taught me to hold my head high, walk with a purpose, and to love those close to me with all my heart, always offer a hand and never to judge unfairly. She also taught me to be part of my religion. Rose was the most religiously powered person I knew and taught me not to be afraid of my beliefs, as well.”
Her mother, Robin Lubin, eulogized Rose by reading her prophetic Bat Mitzvah speech, during which 12 year-old Rose proclaimed: “I am not going to wait for the world to do something great for me; I am going to do something great for the world.”
“Lubin was different,” said Rabbi Binyomin Friedman of Congregation Ariel of Atlanta: “She was color, music skipping, laughing, painting, and writing. She was light itself.”
Rose Ida Lubin is survived by her mother, Robin Lubin; her father and stepmother, David and Stephanie Lubin; sister, Lily; brothers, Alec, Joseph, and Isaac; and her grandparents: Nathan and Alla Olswanger-Lubin, Dan and Eva Marx, Alan Halpern, Rick and Helene Traub, Tom and Lynne Keating.
The Georgia General Assembly posthumously honored Rose Lubin with State Senate Resolution #11EX on December 5, 2023. Resolution 536, a bill honoring the life, bravery, and memory of Sergeant Rose Ida Lubin, was introduced into the United States Senate Judiciary Committee on January 31, 2024. The Rose Lubin Jewish Pride Award, established in her memory by The Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, will be awarded in September 2024.
To learn more about Rose, please read the following articles:
https://aish.com/rose-lubin-american-israeli-hero/
https://w.ynet.co.il/heroes-2023/rose-lubin
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/my-friend-sgt-rose-lubin-ztl/
