Two Holocaust Survivors awarded ‘Freedom of the City’ of London

Two Holocaust survivors living in or near London were given the Freedom of the City at a Mansion House ceremony on Tuesday.

Sabina Miller from West Hampstead and Ben Helfgott from Harrow received the honour in tribute to their work with the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, raising awareness of the atrocities perpetrated in Nazi Germany.

The title confers certain apocryphal rights, among them being to “herd sheep and cattle across London’s four bridges,” to “carry a naked sword in public” or even to “a silk rope if hanged”.

Helfgott, a guest editor of the Jewish News this week, said: “We accept it on behalf of all Holocaust survivors in the UK, who strive to keep alive the memory of those who perished.”

Likewise Miller said: “I fell in love with this country because what I got was kindness and acceptance. To become a Freeman of the City of London is a wonderful privilege.”