German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder accidentally extinguished Israel’s eternal flame for the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust. During a visit to Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial on Tuesday, Schroeder turned a handle that was supposed to make the flame rise. When it went out instead, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak tried to help, but to no avail. Finally, a technician used a cigarette lighter to reignite the flame.
As the Year Turns, Support the Journalism You Trust. JTA covers the stories shaping Jewish life around the world — with the depth this moment calls for. As you reflect on the year ahead, consider a gift that keeps independent Jewish journalism strong.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
