And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden was of beautiful form and fair to look on (Esther 2:7)
The second annual Miss Holocaust Survivor Pageant took place in Haifa over the weekend to rave reviews, according to the Jerusalem Post. The contest, in which inner beauty and poise were the main criteria, featured 14 finalists, ages 70 to 94 strutting down the catwalk.
94 year-old Shoshana Kolmer, who survived Auschwitz and a four-day death march in the snow, took the 2013 crown. Kolmer’s message to the audience was to “study the Shoah and never forget it,” adding that it is important to “pass on the information to the next generation so they never forget there was a Holocaust.” Kolmer immigrated to Israel in 1946 and has since survived rocket attacks on her home during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
The contest took place at the Romema Sport Arena in Haifa, with the mayor of Haifa, Yona Yahab one of roughly 2,500 people who was in attendance. The majority of the crowd was made up of survivors and their families, according to the JPost.
The show was co-sponsored by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem and Haifa-based Yad Ezer L’Haver, to raise awareness for the needs of Holocaust survivors in Israel.Contestants came from Israel, the US, Canada, France, the UK and Belgium to participate in the pageant.
The ICEJ says there are approximately 200,000 survivors living in Israel, a third of which are living below the poverty line.The Yad Ezer L’Haver organization assists Israel’s needy, providing homes for about 80 Holocaust survivors who are suffering financially at the Haifa Home for Holocaust Survivors.
The judges panel was made up of an esteemed group of Israeli personalities, including cosmetics queen and former model Pnina Rosenblum, as well as media personality Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes.
79 year old Koka Palmon, who took fourth place, told the Post, ““It’s very exciting to be in this position. It’s so unbelievable for me at my age to be here, the queen of the beauty contest.” Palmon said it’s important for young generations to take pride in the accomplishments of Holocaust survivors. “I don’t want anymore that the youngsters will suffer what we suffered,” she said. “We must be proud. We must tell the whole world we will never experience again the humiliation that we suffered.”
According to ICEJ executive director Dr. Juergen Buehler, working with Holocaust survivors is “the crown of what we are doing in a way here in Israel because the Holocaust survivors, more than any other group in Israel, represent the whole idea of Am Yisrael Chai.” Buhler also presented a check for 1,000,000 shekels to support Holocaust survivors. The money was raised through the generous donations of the ICEJ supporters worldwide.
“Every single contestant tonight literally went through hell – they went through Auschwitz or other Holocaust concentration camps – so in a way it’s a celebration of their survival… and that we can help them,” Buehler said. “Those who criticize us, we want to tell them please come next year and look for yourself at the faces of the Holocaust survivors, and this will speak volumes.”
