Crowning a New Beauty Queen: Miss Holocaust Survivor?!
I just read something which blew my mind, and not in a good way: Israel has just crowned a "Beauty Queen" in a new pageant, called Miss Holocaust Survivor. Some three-hundred women from ages 74 to 97 across the country registered for this event, billed as a "celebration of life" by the pageant organizer, who also stated that physical beauty was only a small part of the criteria used to judge the contestants. My gut feeling is, I am appalled and disgusted by this. How do you even dare to "judge" a person's horrific experience like that? One person's holocaust experience is worse than another's, and so merits winning? How do the losers feel: as if what they went through during this terrible time is not important? Not worth recognizing? I think I would feel better about a program featuring survivors' personal stories, and recognizing them for fortitude and bravery and character. But having a beauty contest to show bravery? That is a tri...