Holocaust Park’s Eternal Flame Not So Eternal

The 15-foot light that sits at the center of the Holocaust Memorial Park is an “eternal flame,” a symbol of remembrance for the millions who died in the Nazi Holocaust. And, this week, it went out.

But don’t panic – it happens periodically, said Pauline Bilus, director of the Holocaust Memorial Committee, which oversees the park at the western end of Sheepshead Bay. Like all light bulbs, it simply needs to be changed.

The strange part is that the Parks Department changed the bulb about 10 days ago, said Bilus, who was surprised to hear about the malfunction. It worked the last time she saw it, but she hasn’t passed by in recent days.

Bilus will contact the Parks Department to have the problem fixed so Holocaust victims will be properly memorialized once again. She noted that the department is “generally pretty good about replacing it,” but that the city can only order new bulbs with their usual bulk orders, and may not be able to fill special requests.