You read it right, last night in Haifa, Israel, the “Yad Ezer Le’Chaver” organization organized a “Miss Holocaust Survivor” beauty pageant. According to the organizers, more than 300 women signed up for the event and eventually 14 women were picked to compete for the crown.
The event stirred quite the controversy in the Israeli street. Criticizers of the event said that it is a sexist act and that one evening of them dressing nicely will not make their lives any better, while the organizer Shimon Sabag claimed that all women feel great together and enjoy the event.
Sabag also said that the women were picked because of their personal stories, the rebuilding of their new lives and also their physical appearance, although that wasn’t the most important quality.
The invitation to the event became extremely viral on Facebook four days ago, after an editor of “Time-Out Tel Aviv” magazine said it was the “best email she got all year, hands down.” The Facebook post caused many Israeli Facebook users to pull out their most wildest (and cruelest) arsenal of Holocaust-related humor.
But the women seemed to enjoy it, so criticism (and cynicism) aside, watching these women smile is the most important thing.
Here are five photos from the event, taken by Avishag Shaar Yashuv (FLASH90)
And the winner: 79-year-old Romanian born Hava Hershkovitz.
