Rose Lubin: American Israeli Hero

As Hamas terrorists were conducting their massacre in Jewish communities near the Gaza border on October 7, Rose Lubin, a 20-year-old lone soldier and Border Policewoman, received permission from the Rapid Response Team of Kibbutz Sa’ad where she lived to help protect the community. She changed into her uniform, grabbed her weapon and helped defend her community from the attack.

Rose then rushed to assist other communities, removing the injured to safety and fighting the terrorist onslaught.

“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.”

Rose grew up in Dunwoody, Georgia, a small suburb of Atlanta. She moved to Israel by herself in 2021 after finishing high school in order to join the Israel Defense Forces. After arriving in Israel and learning Hebrew, she enlisted in the IDF. As is the practice in the kibbutz movement, she was given an “adopted” family in Kibbutz Sa’ad, a religious kibbutz in the south.

Lone soldier Rose Lubin was stationed in Jerusalem’s Old City in the Damascus Gate area, a real hot spot. It is the main entry used by many Arabs and one of the most highly guarded streets in the city due to tension between Moslems and Jews in the area.

In May of this year she spoke at a Friends of the IDF evening in Atlanta. Rose described the dangerous demands of her border police service. She mentioned her unit’s charge to defend Jerusalem. She said that she derived personal meaning from her work of protecting Jews praying at the Western Wall.

“There are generations of my family who could have been here today if there was an Israel during the Holocaust. 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,” she stated. “If you ever stroll through the Damascus Gate, toss me a high five and I will welcome you,” she said.

On Monday, November 6^th, a 16-year-old Arab from the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya ran toward the border police officers stationed near Herod’s Gate with a knife in his hand. He stabbed Rose several times, injuring another police officer as well, before her fellow officers shot and killed him. Rose and the other injured officer were evacuated to Hadassah Hospital, and she was pronounced dead several hours later.

In a video recorded just days before her murder, Sgt. Lubin smiled and waved at the camera, sending love to her family in America and thanking them for their thoughts and prayers. “Shabbat shalom everyone,” she said. “I love everyone. Thank you for the support.”

Her great-uncle Rick Halpern said, “We knew she was in a dangerous place. Probably the most dangerous assignment in all of Israel. She wanted very much to be there. She was a tremendously dedicated and committed person, and she wanted to be in that location. She was very committed to making sure that things were safe for this generation.”

Roni Tabackman, Rose’s counselor on Kibbutz Sa’ad said about her, “Rose was the most colorful, vibrant, powerful person I had the privilege of knowing. She is a true heroine of Israel.”

Her friends emphasized her ability to make people feel accepted and inspired to be their best selves. Her close friend Yehudis Braunstein described her, “You would think she was tough as nails, but the minute she would start talking to you, there was only warmth and love. She was the kindest soul, and her heart touched everyone around her.” Her remarkable singing talent was yet another side of her multifaceted personality, bringing joy and comfort to those around her.

Georgian Governor Brian Kemp sent his respect to her family. Her “courage and commitment to fighting evil is an inspiration to us all. While the horrors of war may seem far away, moments like these remind us why it is paramount to stand alongside our friends in Israel as they fight against terror in their land.”

Rose’s funeral was delayed, since her extended family, including a grandfather in a wheel chair, needed to fly in from the U.S. Her funeral was held on Thursday, November 9^th at Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery. A notice requesting that people attend the burial of an American lone soldier went out a few days before the funeral, and hundreds of people showed up to honor Rose and her family.

Rose with Rabbi Binyamin Friedman

Rabbi Binyamin Friedman, the family’s rabbi, also accompanied Rose’s family to Israel. He spoke about how Rose, even as a small child, would philosophize about deep matters such as God and life. “Anyone who had an interaction with Rose remembers that interaction. Because when you talked to Rose, when you had something to do with her, you walked away and felt touched. You realized that you had just experienced something special…”

Robin, Rose’s mother, read her daughter’s Bat Mitzvah speech. Most of the content sounded like it was written by a mature person who had experienced much in life and who was prophetic:

“Life is an ongoing path of mystery, adventure, and love. It is like one long book, and like other books, it has a beginning and end…and there will be a time when I will not be existent in this world. So what do I do about it? I make every chapter in my book worth reading. I work hard, do my best and follow the laws that God has instructed me to follow. 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.”

Her father, David, related, “Rose saw from a young age that her Judaism and her commitment to Israel were just as important as her family. She was taught never to tolerate antisemitism and to stand up to anyone who took advantage of the weak…She was an all-American kid, but she always set herself apart with her individuality, strength, and kindness.”

She was also eulogized by her “adoptive” parents from Kibbutz Sa’ad. “You were a human magnet, Rose, with that sensitivity that is so typical of you. She was such a colorful girl, a vegan in her soul, and a joie de vivre that had an effect upon everyone around her. When there was an unusual event in the Old City, you would send us a message to calm us down. On Monday I didn’t get a message from you…”

Her brother Alec, who was best friends with Rose, eulogized her, “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.”

He also described how Rose would make him her wrestling partner. Even though she was only five-feet tall, she was very strong from working out in the gym.

Rabbi Nachum from Kibbutz Sa’ad said, “We have no words that we can really use to console you in this moment of great tragedy, but you can be proud of the daughter that you raised. With that courage, with that determination that she had to endanger herself for the sake of her people and for the sake of Jerusalem…for Rose will always be a symbol of love for Israel and self-sacrifice.”

Commander Biton of the Lavi Company addressed Rose, “Thank you for fighting like a lioness, thank you for preventing a bigger terror attack with your body.”

May Rose’s family be comforted among the mourners of Zion, and may we keep the eternal legacy Rose has left behind in our hearts.

Watch David and Robin Lubin speak at the funeral of their beloved daughter Rose