The bronze bust of former
British prime minister
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As moder ...
Sir Winston Churchill at
Mishkenot Sha’ananim,
Jerusalem
Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
was created by portrait sculptor
Oscar Nemon
Oscar Nemon (born Oscar Neumann; 13 March 1906 – 13 April 1985) was a Croatian sculptor who was born in Osijek, Croatia, but eventually settled in England. He is best known for his series of more than a dozen public statues of Sir Winston Churc ...
. Anthony Rosenfelder, together with MK Isaac Herzog, initiated the process of erecting the bust of Churchill in Jerusalem.
The work is located in the Yael Garden, below the historic
Mishkenot Sha’ananim building, overlooking the walls of the
Old City of Jerusalem. It was unveiled by Churchill's great-grandson
Randolph Churchill
Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer-Churchill (28 May 1911 – 6 June 1968) was an English journalist, writer, soldier, and politician. He served as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Preston from 1940 to 1945.
The only son of British ...
on November 4, 2012 at a ceremony attended by MK
Isaac Herzog
Isaac "Bougie" Herzog ( he, יצחק "בוז׳י" הרצוג, Yitskhak "Buzhi" Hertsog; born 22 September 1960) is an Israeli politician who has been serving as the 11th president of Israel since 2021. He is the first president to be born in ...
,
British Ambassador to Israel HE
Matthew Gould
Matthew Steven Gould (born 20 August 1971) is a British civil servant who is CEO of NHSX, the body which oversees digital policy and programmes in NHS England. He was Ambassador to Israel (2010–15) and Director General for Digital and Me ...
, British Consul-General to Jerusalem Sir
Vincent Fean
Sir Vincent Fean KCVO (born 20 November 1952) is a retired British diplomat and former Ambassador who is now Chairman of the Libyan British Business Council.
Early life
Thomas Vincent Fean was born in Burnley, Lancashire, England. He was edu ...
, Israel's Ambassador to the Court of St James's
Daniel Taub, Jerusalem Mayor
Nir Barkat
Nir Barkat ( he, נִיר בַּרְקָת; born 19 October 1959) is an Israeli businessman and politician. He served as mayor of Jerusalem between the years 2008–2018.
Biography
Nir Barkat was raised in Jerusalem. His father, Zalman, was a ...
, President of the
Jerusalem Foundation
The Jerusalem Foundation ( he, הקרן לירושלים, ''HaKeren LiYerushalayim''; ar, مؤسسة صندوق القدس) is a nonprofit foundation that promotes the development of the city of Jerusalem, by raising funds for social, cultural a ...
Ambassador
Mark Sofer, Chairperson of
Mishkenot Sha’ananim Ruth Cheshin, and Anthony Rosenfelder, a trustee of the
Jerusalem Foundation
The Jerusalem Foundation ( he, הקרן לירושלים, ''HaKeren LiYerushalayim''; ar, مؤسسة صندوق القدس) is a nonprofit foundation that promotes the development of the city of Jerusalem, by raising funds for social, cultural a ...
in the United Kingdom.
The bust is identical to the one that stands in Freedom Court at the
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library
Description
The bronze bust is 75 cm wide, 85 cm high, and 47 cm deep and weighs 125 kilograms. It was created using a cast made in 1955 from a
life model. The bust is placed on a marble stand engraved with
Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
's words: ''"There is no limit to the ingenuity of man if it is properly and vigorously applied under conditions of peace and justice.''"
History
The initiative for erecting the statue came from Anthony Rosenfelder, a trustee of the
Jerusalem Foundation
The Jerusalem Foundation ( he, הקרן לירושלים, ''HaKeren LiYerushalayim''; ar, مؤسسة صندوق القدس) is a nonprofit foundation that promotes the development of the city of Jerusalem, by raising funds for social, cultural a ...
, who felt that Israel lacked an appropriate commemoration of Churchill's role in creating the Jewish state.
Nemon viewed
Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
as one of the most remarkable personalities of all time and his portraits of him are characterized by an intensity that reveals his admiration for the statesman. He first met him in
Marrakesh in 1951 and the two formed a deep friendship.
Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
was his most frequent subject.
Nemon wrote that he found him bellicose, challenging, and deliberately provocative. His sculptures go beyond being likenesses of Churchill to comprise a kind of account of his life. In 1955, Nemon created a bronze cast of
Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from 1 ...
, made from a
life model.
The bust was dedicated on November 4, 2012 in the presence of the former prime minister's great-grandson
Randolph Churchill
Randolph Frederick Edward Spencer-Churchill (28 May 1911 – 6 June 1968) was an English journalist, writer, soldier, and politician. He served as Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) for Preston from 1940 to 1945.
The only son of British ...
, MK
Isaac Herzog
Isaac "Bougie" Herzog ( he, יצחק "בוז׳י" הרצוג, Yitskhak "Buzhi" Hertsog; born 22 September 1960) is an Israeli politician who has been serving as the 11th president of Israel since 2021. He is the first president to be born in ...
,
British Ambassador to Israel HE
Matthew Gould
Matthew Steven Gould (born 20 August 1971) is a British civil servant who is CEO of NHSX, the body which oversees digital policy and programmes in NHS England. He was Ambassador to Israel (2010–15) and Director General for Digital and Me ...
, British Consul-General to Jerusalem Sir
Vincent Fean
Sir Vincent Fean KCVO (born 20 November 1952) is a retired British diplomat and former Ambassador who is now Chairman of the Libyan British Business Council.
Early life
Thomas Vincent Fean was born in Burnley, Lancashire, England. He was edu ...
, Israel's Ambassador to the Court of St James's
Daniel Taub, Jerusalem Mayor
Nir Barkat
Nir Barkat ( he, נִיר בַּרְקָת; born 19 October 1959) is an Israeli businessman and politician. He served as mayor of Jerusalem between the years 2008–2018.
Biography
Nir Barkat was raised in Jerusalem. His father, Zalman, was a ...
, President of the
Jerusalem Foundation
The Jerusalem Foundation ( he, הקרן לירושלים, ''HaKeren LiYerushalayim''; ar, مؤسسة صندوق القدس) is a nonprofit foundation that promotes the development of the city of Jerusalem, by raising funds for social, cultural a ...
Ambassador
Mark Sofer and Chairperson of
Mishkenot Sha’ananim Ruth Cheshin.
Churchill's bust was installed in Yael's Garden at
Mishkenot Sha’ananim, overlooking Jerusalem's Old City walls in recognition of his support for a Jewish state.
Replicas and related statues
The bust is identical to the one standing in Freedom Court at the
Franklin D. Roosevelt Library,
Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park is a town in Dutchess County, New York, United States, bordering the Hudson River north of Poughkeepsie. Within the town are the hamlets of Hyde Park, East Park, Staatsburg, and Haviland. Hyde Park is known as the hometown of Fran ...
.
See also
*
Yemin Moshe
, settlement_type = Neighborhood of Jerusalem
, image_skyline = משכנות שאננים בירושלים ביחד עם כנסיית דורמיציון ברקע.JPG
, imagesize = 300px
, image_caption = Ha-Brekha street
, s ...
*
Montefiore Windmill
*
Oscar Nemon
Oscar Nemon (born Oscar Neumann; 13 March 1906 – 13 April 1985) was a Croatian sculptor who was born in Osijek, Croatia, but eventually settled in England. He is best known for his series of more than a dozen public statues of Sir Winston Churc ...
References
{{Churchill, state=extended
Busts (sculpture)
Outdoor sculptures in Israel
Sculptures of Winston Churchill
Sculptures of men in Israel