Remember Esther Petrack, the Modern Orthodox contestant on “America’s Next Top Model”? Her ballsy appearance in the show’s Cycle 15 at age 18 included her lifting up her shirt, dressing provocatively and doing other non-Kosher activities. ANTM devoted an entire segments to Petrack’s Judaism, where she talked about how different she is from other contestants, especially when it comes to food habits (she keeps kosher).
Some people didn’t like the fact that the Jerusalem-born, Massachusetts girl told host Tyra Banks that she would (brace yourselves) break the Sabbath to appear on the show. Petrack’s mother Marina said it was a result of manipulative editing.
This week we learned Petrack is now a private in the Israel Defense Forces Armored Corps and will become a tank instructor next week. (I wonder what the people who criticize her choice to appear on the show think now that she made another decision that may be more suitable for their interests). Petrack told the Israeli paper Yedioth Achronot she enjoys the tank instructor course a lot and that the girls are nicer than her peers on the show.
The IDF Spokesperson released two photos of Petrack posing next to a tank. Are her uniform photos more attractive than her modeling photos? You decide.
Esther Petrack on a tank (IDF Spokesperson)
Esther Pertack as a model (CW)
