We mourn the loss of Sir Ben Helfgott. Ben was a very close friend of World Jewish Relief, a highly respected member of the Jewish community, a committed Holocaust educator, Olympic Gold Medalist for weightlifting, and a proud husband, brother, father, and grandfather to his large and thriving family. His passing will be acutely felt across our community.
Born in Piotrków, Poland, Ben was just nine years old when the Second World War broke out. He moved with his family to the Nazis’ first ghetto, established in his hometown. In 1942 Ben narrowly escaped the fate of almost 22,000 inhabitants of the ghetto, who were deported to the Treblinka death camp. His mother and youngest sister were killed by the Nazis whilst in the ghetto. Ben was later moved between Buchenwald concentration camp, Schlieben camp, and Terezín in Czechoslovakia, separated from the rest of his family. He later found out his father had been shot a few days before the end of the war.
After Terezín was liberated by Russian troops, Ben came to the UK aged 15 with a group of child survivors known as ‘the Boys, who were rescued by World Jewish Relief’s forerunner, the Central British Fund. Arriving at Lake Windermere with no English, Ben was quickly noticed for his aptitude for sport. At Lake Windermere Ben made lifelong friends, learned English, and was given holistic support to address the unimaginable trauma he had experienced and build a life here. In 1947 Ben was reunited with his sister, Mala. In 1948 Ben started weightlifting and competed in the 1950 Maccabiah Games in Israel. He went on to represent Britain in the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, and the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, winning Olympic Gold.
Ben remained a dedicated, lifelong supporter of the charity that had rescued him, and committed himself to Holocaust education in the UK. He sat on the Trustee Board of World Jewish Relief from 1988 for many years, which is now Chaired by his son Maurice Helfgott. Ben was the Chairman and Founder of the ’45 Aid Society, set up by ‘the Boys’, and in June 2018 Ben was awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
World Jewish Relief’s Chief Executive Paul Anticoni says: “Ben was undoubtedly one of the most remarkable people I have ever met. Having been through unimaginable horror, his determination to remember the past and shape the future was infectious. His commitment to Holocaust education was defining and he was immensely influential in ensuring Holocaust Survivors worldwide benefited and continue to benefit from restitution funding. He was fascinating company, could talk for hours, cheeky and thoughtful and in the companionship of his wonderful wife Arza, was a true great.”
We send our heartfelt wishes for a long life to the entire Helfgott family. We will continue to be inspired by Sir Ben Helfgott’s legacy and everything that he represented: resilience in the aftermath of tragedy, commitment to education, sportsmanship, and love for family. Z’’l.
