Holocaust survivor and Olympic weightlifter Sir Ben Helfgott dies aged 93

Tributes have been paid to Holocaust survivor and Olympic weightlifter Sir Ben Helfgott after he died aged 93 on Friday.

Poland-born Helfgott faced appalling conditions in the Piotrkow Ghetto and then survived the Buchenwald and Terezin concentration camps and the Schlieben labour camp.

He lost almost his entire family in the Holocaust and was one of 732 child survivors who came to the UK to rebuild their lives after the Second World War.

Just 11 years after he was freed from the Nazi concentration camps, Helfgott captained the British weightlifting team at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

He represented Britain again at the 1960 Rome Olympics and the 1958 Commonwealth Games where he won a bronze medal.

Helfgott also became the honorary president of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and a honorary patron for the Holocaust Educational Trust. He was knighted in 2018.

British Olympic Association chairman Sir Hugh Robertson said Helfgott “represented the very best of humanity”.

He said on the Team GB Twitter account: “A kind, gentle man who endured the unimaginable during the Holocaust, yet used all of his courage to educate countless generations of young people about tolerance and peace.

“The fact he survived the concentration camps to go on to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games tells you all you need to know about his determination and character. Our thoughts are with his family at this sad time. We will not let his memory nor his legacy fade.”

Paying tribute on Twitter, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote: “Sir Ben Helfgott was an inspirational Holocaust survivor, who became a British Olympian, global pioneer of Holocaust education and grandfather to nine grandchildren. Ben survived the worst of humanity. His legacy is the ultimate triumph over that darkness.”

A statement from the 45 Aid Society, a charity which supports Holocaust survivors and their families, and of which Helfgott was a founding member, read: “It is with the deepest sadness and sorrow that we have to share the news that we’ve lost the founder and father of @45AidSociety, Sir Ben Helfgott.

“Ben was one of the greatest ambassadors for the Boys and, indeed, for all Holocaust survivors. He represented Britain at the Olympics within a few years of his liberation, went on to fight for his fellow survivors and continued to educate all generations about the horrors of the Holocaust right up till just a few years ago.”

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, said: “Sir Ben Helfgott was a giant amongst men. A Holocaust survivor, Olympic champion, campaigner, visionary and our leader.

“Despite all he endured, Ben taught us all about resilience, tolerance and the crucial importance of educating future generations. He was our friend and mentor and we mourn his loss deeply.

“Ben always worked to ensure that survivors were looked after – he was a true leader of the survivor community.”

Sir Keir Starmer said he was “deeply saddened” to hear Helfgott had died.

The Labour Party leader said: “Sir Ben was one of life’s polymaths. He was a hugely accomplished sportsman, representing Britain at the Olympics in weightlifting.

“He was one of only two Holocaust survivors to take part in the Olympics, an extraordinary tribute to his talent and determination.

“Throughout his life, Sir Ben demonstrated compassion and understanding, campaigning for tolerance and peaceful coexistence between communities.

“These are values by which we should all live. His life and legacy will be an inspiration to us all.”