This post first appeared on The Sisterhood blog at the Forward.
Miss Israel, Yityish Aynaw
On Wednesday, 21-year-old Yityish Aynaw was crowned Miss Israel for 2013. The occasion marked the first time an Ethiopian Israeli had won the national beauty pageant.
Despite the landmark moment, I have to be honest: I was more excited when Pnina Tamano-Shata, a lawyer and member of the Yesh Atid party, was recently elected the first female Ethiopian Member of Knesset.
I am obviously far more into brains than beauty. But not everyone is, and rather than hate on this breakthrough moment for Israeli women of color, it would be far more productive to look at the positives associated with Aynaw’s achievement.
Click here to read more.
© 2013 Renee Ghert-Zand. All rights reserved.
Tags: Ethiopian Israelis, Ethiopian Jews, Miss Israel, Yityish Aynaw
