Sir Nicholas Serota has resigned as director of the Tate galleries after 28 years in the role. He will be taking up a new role as chair of Arts Council England.

The Tate underwent major expansion during his period at the helm, most notably with the opening of the Tate Modern in 2000.

In a 2010 interview with the JC, he called the Tate “a prime example of the generosity of the Jewish community".

“There is a great love of art within parts of the Jewish community, but there is equally a wish to share and a certain sense of obligation that if you have something of value you should share it with others”, he said.

“That is part of the ethic of the community and you see it in the support that came from the Jewish community to create Tate Modern and you see it in the way that collectors are showing their collections.

“Tate has always been incredibly dependent on the Jewish community for support generally and for the growth of its collections”.

Sir Nicholas also said his Jewish background had played a significant role in his achievements.

"The values that I learned from my family undoubtedly play a huge part in what I do and the way I try to do it,” he said.