Hungarian-born Israeli artistic gymnast and coach Ágnes Keleti died on Thursday at the age of 103.
Born in Budapest in 1921, Keleti was deemed one of the greatest Jewish athletes, winning 10 Olympic medals for the national Hungarian team throughout her career.
She participated in both the Helsinki and Melbourne Olympics in 1952 and 1956, respectively.
Keleti made aliyah to the Jewish State in 1957 and became the Israeli with the most Olympic medals.
Among the numerous prizes and acknowledgments she received, Keleti was the recipient of the Israel Prize in the field of sports in 2017, one of the most distinguished prizes awarded in the country.
‘A trailblazer of Jewish sports’
Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar mourned Keleti’s passing in a post on X/Twitter, dubbing her “a trailblazer of Jewish sports and one of the greatest athletes in history.”
He added that Keleti was a Holocaust survivor who “turned pain into strength and faith into remarkable achievements and victories.”
“Her legacy is an endless inspiration for generations,” Zohar further wrote.
The International March of the Living (MOTL) said that it “mourns the passing of Ágnes Keleti, of blessed memory, a Holocaust survivor and recipient of the Israel Prize” in a statement.
Last year, as part of the 80th anniversary of the annihilation of Hungarian Jewry during the Holocaust, MOTL held an event on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day in Budapest.
During the Holocaust, 400,000 Hungarian Jews were sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau, MOTL noted.
“Ágnes Keleti leaves an enduring legacy as a symbol of resilience, transforming the horrors of the Holocaust into extraordinary contributions to humanity. She will forever be remembered as a symbol of the human spirit’s triumph and the courage to choose life in the face of unimaginable adversity,” MOTL concluded.
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