Memorial Candle monument in Jerusalem

The Memorial Candle monument in Jerusalem is an underground memorial chamber with an octagonal shape that contains white broken stelae of varying heights and mirrored walls. The design focuses attention on five central candles whose light appears to multiply infinitely through the reflective surfaces.

The monument was established in 1987 as part of Yad Vashem, the major Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. It was created to honor the 1.5 million Jewish children who were killed under Nazi occupation.

The name refers to the central flame, which multiplies endlessly through the mirrored surfaces to honor children who could not grow older. Visitors experience this through the continuous recitation of names and ages that fills the underground space with remembrance.

Access is through a natural rock formation that leads down into the underground chamber within the expansive Yad Vashem complex. Visitors should move slowly and carefully to respect the solemn nature of the space.

The semi-reflective glass panels and mirrors create reflections that make a single candle appear to multiply infinitely. This optical effect was designed to convey the true scale of the children's deaths in a visual way.