Frances Segelman to create sculpture of Holocaust survivor Ben Helfgott
Former Olympic weightlifting champion will be immortalised in clay during a live event on 7 June, following in the footsteps of Her Majesty the Queen
Justin Cohen is the News Editor at the Jewish News
Holocaust survivor Ben Helfgott will follow in the footsteps of the Queen, survivor Arek Hersh and Joan Collins next week in being the subject of a sculpture by Frances Segelman.
The 87-year-old – who went on to compete in weightlifting at the Olympics within a few years of liberation and has dedicated himself to passing on the lessons of the Shoah – will be immortalised in clay during a live event on 7 June.
The sculpture will be sent for bronzing and it is hoped the artwork donated by Frances Segelman will then be presented to a leading museum.
Helfgott is the President of Yad Vashem UK Foundation, which is organising the event, and was a member of David Cameron’s Holocaust commission.
Simon Bentley, chair of Yad Vashem UK, said: “It is a great privilege for us to be holding an event to honour our honorary president – an inspiration for us all.”
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