ATLANTA — A somber mood is impacting the Dunwoody community as they mourn the loss of a 20-year-old who tragically died in Jerusalem.
Rose Lubin's friends and loved ones remember her as small but mighty, with an unshakable determination to serve and protect her people. Lubin was serving with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Lubin's story is one of passion, resilience, and unwavering faith. The young woman from Dunwoody was described as a force to be reckoned with by those who knew her best. Jillian Hall, a close friend from high school, recalled her spirited approach to life.
"She would do the craziest things. So many pull-ups I couldn't even count," Hall said. "I started going to the gym with her, and it became a habit every day if we could. We would talk before and during workouts, coming up with the craziest routines and laughing together."
Lubin was determined to serve in the IDF.
"She did have plans to go [to college] after the IDF, but she wanted to go to the IDF, be on a kibbutz, and join the army to protect her people."
As a sergeant with the IDF, Lubin was working with the Israel Border Patrol when Israeli officials reported that she was stabbed on Monday, tragically ending her life.
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Another friend, Shifra Dimbert, shared her grief and the profound impact Lubin had on their lives. She met her in Israel, and the two lived together as they trained to join the IDF.
"Every single guy, the guy did seven pull-ups. Rose would do eight. He would run that fast.Rose would run even faster," she remembered.
"When I say she was the best of us, still as the best of us, she really was the glue that held us all together, specifically in our group," she said.
Lubin's family and friends are currently traveling to Israel to say their final goodbyes, with her funeral planned for Thursday morning in Israel.