'Miss Holocaust Survivor' beauty pageant held in Israel - Polidicks

[quote]Fourteen competitors as old as 97 vied on Thursday in a beauty pageant for a title that many might find distasteful: "Miss Holocaust Survivor." Critics say the event is inappropriate but its organizers are calling it a celebration of life. Close to 300 women applied, but only 14 made it to the final round. Israel on Thursday played host to the first-ever "Miss Holocaust Survivor" pageant. The name itself could be fodder for scandal, but the event's organizers argued it was a celebration of life. Still, the event had been the subject of considerable controversy. "It sounds totally macabre to me," Colette Avital, chairwoman of Israel's leading Holocaust survivor's umbrella group, said according to the Associated Press. "I'm in favor of enriching lives, but a one-time pageant masquerading (survivors) with beautiful clothes is not what is going to make their lives more meaningful." The winners were judged for their personal experiences, the amount of success they had in rebuilding their lives after the war and for their later contributions to local communities, said pageant organizer Shimon Sabag, adding that appearance was only a small part of the competition. "The fact that so many wanted to participate proves that it's a good idea," Sabag told AP. The competition took place in Haifa, where 600 people turned up to watch the spectacle, including senior members of the Israeli government like Mosche Kahlon and Yossi Peled, himself a Holocaust survivor. 'We Are Also Enjoying Life' Participants ranged between 74 and 97 years of age. Music was played and the women waved happily and displayed beaming smiles as they walked the red carpet. Then they shared their experiences during World War II. "I have the privilege to show the world that Hitler wanted to exterminate us and we are alive," 74-year-old Esther Libber said. "We are also enjoying life. Thank God it's that way." Libber had fled her home as a child when the Nazis arrived and ran into the forest, where she was rescued by a Polish woman. She lost her entire family. Hava Hershkovitz, a 78-year-old Romanian woman, spent three years in a detention camp in the Soviet Union and today lives in the Helping Hands assisted living home, Israel's first and only residence for elderly Holocaust survivors, located in Haifa. "This place is full of survivors," Hershkovitz told AP. "It puts us at the center of attention so people will care. It's not easy at this age to hold a beauty contest, but we are all doing it to show that we're still here." A cosmetics firm sponsored the event, and that too became the subject of controversy. Avital critically noted that the company is using Holocaust survivors to promote its products. "Why use a beauty contest to show that these people survived and that they're brave?" Lili Haber, who also heads an organization that provides assistance to Holocaust survivors, asked AP. "I think it's awful." If the photos are anything to go by, though, it appears the candidates had a great deal of fun taking part.[/quote] [url]http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/beauty-pageant-held-in-israel-for-holocaust-survivors-a-841706.html[/url]

What.

Umm...... Ummm.... Uhh.. WTF

nope nope nope nope

I did nazi this coming, anne frankly it needs to stop.

Oh, Israel whatever will we do with you?

Trying to fathom this requires a lot of concentration.

why.

When can i expect a 9/11 widow pageant?

[QUOTE=Medevilae;36586990][table="width: 500, align: center"] [tr] [td][IMG]http://cdn3.spiegel.de/images/image-370206-galleryV9-hzht.jpg[/IMG][/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][I]The participants Seemed to enjoy the pageant, with beaming smiles and waving to the audience.[/I][/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][IMG]http://cdn2.spiegel.de/images/image-370209-galleryV9-hxpi.jpg[/IMG][/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][I]"It's not easy at this age to hold a beauty contest," said pageant participant Hava Herschkovitz. who is 78th "But we're all doing it to show that we're still here."[/I][/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][IMG]http://cdn2.spiegel.de/images/image-370271-galleryV9-eryy.jpg[/IMG][/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][I]In the end, Hava Herschkovitz won the 2012 pageant.[/I][/td] [/tr] [/table][/QUOTE] Seems pretty clear to me that all the parties involved enjoyed it, and I'd rather have senoir beuty pageants than "Toddler's in Tiaras! or some shit.

[QUOTE=Medevilae;36586990][table="width: 500, align: center"] [tr] [td][I]The participants Seemed to enjoy the pageant, with beaming smiles and waving to the audience.[/I][/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][IMG]http://cdn2.spiegel.de/images/image-370209-galleryV9-hxpi.jpg[/IMG][/td] [/tr] [/table][/QUOTE] that's a gilf you won't f with.

fuck it already happened? I was going to enroll

It seems a bit weird, but I don't see anything wrong with it. They mark that they are still alive and kickin', they have fun and pretty much everyone enjoyed it.

i dont see why people think this is in anyway bad, if people are STILL crying over the holocaust then you seriously need to get over yourselves

where are the bikini contest pics

How about a Dresden bombing pageant?

[QUOTE=Splungey;36590043]How about a Dresden bombing pageant?[/QUOTE] I want to make a Slaughterhouse Five reference, but I can't think of anything good.

That's... weird.

[QUOTE=mac338;36587244]It seems a bit weird, but I don't see anything wrong with it. They mark that they are still alive and kickin', they have fun and pretty much everyone enjoyed it.[/QUOTE] Yeah I was going to post something along these lines but mac338 beat me to it.

The title is just hilarious. It sounds like a really bad band name.

It would be selfish of me to complain about it when it seems as though they all really enjoyed the occasion, and in retrospect it wasn't [i]really[/i] about a beauty contest, but rather a celebration of their lives and for exposure of their good hearts. Bravo I say.

I like this. It's saying to all old or new Nazis (note [I]Nazis[/I], not Germans in general or German war vets) "hahaha suck it, we're still here and loving it you fucks". Also inb4 Iran declares the pageant winner invalid, saying that their experiences didn't happen.

[QUOTE=Spooter;36593497]I like this. It's saying to all old or new Nazis (note [I]Nazis[/I], not Germans in general or German war vets) "hahaha suck it, we're still here and loving it you fucks". Also inb4 Iran declares the pageant winner invalid, saying that their experiences didn't happen.[/QUOTE] I think you seriously missunderstood that message.

[QUOTE=Sgt-NiallR;36586822]I did nazi this coming, anne frankly it needs to stop.[/QUOTE] Unfortunately everyone saw those puns coming.

[QUOTE=Spooter;36593497]I like this. It's saying to all old or new Nazis (note [I]Nazis[/I], not Germans in general or German war vets) "hahaha suck it, we're still here and loving it you fucks". Also inb4 Iran declares the pageant winner invalid, saying that their experiences didn't happen.[/QUOTE] Are you deliberately [i]trying[/i] to cause a shitstorm? Go away.

[QUOTE=Medevilae;36586990][table="width: 500, align: center"] [tr] [td][IMG]http://cdn2.spiegel.de/images/image-370271-galleryV9-eryy.jpg[/IMG][/td] [/tr] [tr] [td][I]In the end, Hava Herschkovitz won the 2012 pageant.[/I][/td] [/tr] [/table][/QUOTE] seems weird to have a girl who looks unhealthily skinny present for the miss holocaust survivor. [editline]2nd July 2012[/editline] actually, not weird just plain disrespectful

I think they held this contest kinda late.

[QUOTE=Cypher_09;36593826]Are you deliberately [i]trying[/i] to cause a shitstorm? Go away.[/QUOTE] Uh, no? I was saying that as well as the message of survival and vitality, it can also deliver a middle finger to Antisemitic people who would prefer for them to not be alive. I don't get how that's attempting to cause a shit storm. Gee, I'm sorry if I offended any anti-antisemitic people.

[QUOTE=Spooter;36594637]Uh, no? I was saying that as well as the message of survival and vitality, it can also deliver a middle finger to Antisemitic people who would prefer for them to not be alive. I don't get how that's attempting to cause a shit storm. Gee, I'm sorry if I offended any anti-antisemitic people.[/QUOTE] What you intended to convey doesn't actually matter. If you posted here more often you'd know that even so much as bringing up Nazis either starts a shitstorm, or hatred against yourself (unless it's a good joke). The last post in this thread about Nazis already has 49 dumbs. Then you brought up the holocaust denial conspiracy, when you really didn't need to. Your post was just tactless...

[QUOTE=God of Ashes;36594154]seems weird to have a girl who looks unhealthily skinny present for the miss holocaust survivor. [editline]2nd July 2012[/editline] actually, not weird just plain disrespectful[/QUOTE] did you stop and possibly think "hey, that might be her granddaughter!"