German Chancellor first in history to light public menorah candle for Hannukah

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA)- The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, helped to light Berlin’s Hannukah menorah at the Brandenburg Gate where Nazi propaganda events were held.

He said that he was proud to stand in solidarity with the Jewish commnunity.

Chabad News reports that this was the first time in history that a German chancellor has attended a public menorah lighting ceremony.

Some families of the 240 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October, attended the ceremony, alongside politicians and ambassadors.

The menorah, a nine-branched candelabra, is the largest in Europe at 10 metres high, and is one of 50 erected across the city, a number maintained this year despite security fears.