In the distant past, winners of beauty contests were considered to be dumb blondes, whose good looks enabled them to move in upper-crust social circles and perhaps marry a millionaire. But in the Miss Universe and Miss World contests, much more was demanded of the contestants than a beautiful face and figure. In addition, there was also a change in age limit, enabling women beyond their twenties to compete.
Among this year’s competitors in the preliminary events was Miss Jerusalem Hila Netaneli, an experienced lawyer who also engages in public diplomacy as a representative of the World Jewish Congress. In addition, she works with the government and the Knesset on a number of important issues, and has helped to shape public policy. She also finds time to volunteer with Magen David Adom.
As if all that is not enough in the life of the native-born Jerusalemite, she loves dogs and is also an avid tennis player.
Israel and Miss Universe
■ LAST MONTH, during a visit to Miami, where she participated in preliminary Miss Universe events, she was honored with the Woman of Vision award, in recognition of her leadership and resilience, her impactful work, and her fearless pursuit of new paths.
It was also in Miami that the finals were held to crown the young woman who will represent Israel at the Miss Universe pageant. Netaneli was one of 11 finalists, but the winner was fashion model and social entrepreneur Melanie Shiraz, who is also Miss Caesarea.
This was the second consecutive year the Miss Israel contest was held in Miami, where there is a strong Jewish community with many Israeli expatriates.
More Yehoram Gaon, please!
■ JERUSALEM APPARENTLY can’t get enough of native son Yehoram Gaon, who continues to identify with the city of his birth even though he hasn’t lived in Jerusalem for years.
In addition to the Yehoram Gaon exhibition at the Tower of David Museum, there will be a premiere of the film This Evening with Yehoram Gaon, which will be screened at the National Library on Sunday evening, August 17, as part of the Docutext Film Festival. Needless to say, attendees will see Gaon both on-screen and off, as he will be present at the screening. Aside from anything else, it will be an opportunity for Gaon fans who have not yet visited the library, one of Jerusalem’s cultural treasures.
The screening of the film, directed by Kobi Farag and Morris Ben-Mayor, is sponsored by the Samis Foundation, Yes, Hot, Alma Film Productions, and United King Films. The latter also made footage available to the curators of the Gaon exhibition at the Tower of David Museum.
Complaining about Miri Regev
■ IT SEEMS strange that Transportation Minister Miri Regev is not included in the long list of speakers at an upcoming conference in Jerusalem on solutions to the city’s public transport and parking problems. Perhaps she is absenting herself because the conference is taking place during the Knesset’s vacation period. While it’s true that most of the speakers are seasoned professionals who, collectively, will cover all areas of these problems, the absence of the responsible minister is not a very encouraging sign.
Light rail-related roadworks in different parts of the city make life very uncomfortable for the city’s residents, whose resilience shows not only in security crises but in the many challenges they face on the altar of urban renewal and bureaucratic obstacles.
Crossing the Jaffa Road-Sarei Israel intersection near the Central Bus Station is a nightmare, with all the infrastructure and the construction taking place there, but somehow, thousands of people manage to do that every day. People even succeed in overcoming the frustrations incurred by changing bus routes and cancellation of regular bus stops.
Inside the buses themselves is the added annoyance of the possibility of being fined for not having swiped one’s Rav Kav electronic ticketing card for public transportation. The device does not always work. Very often, passengers risk life and limb, moving along the narrow aisle of the bus to find a device that does work. If the bus lurches, the passengers can fall, and some might sustain serious injury. Some inspectors, realizing the problem, will take the Rav Kav from a passenger and walk the length of the bus till they find a device that works, will swipe the card and then return it to its owner. But others don’t accept any excuses and immediately impose a fine.
Surely there must be a way of ensuring that all the devices work, so that passengers do not have to inconvenience themselves more than is necessary.
Measles and vaccines
■ PEDIATRICIANS IN Jerusalem are conducting a vaccination campaign, in the hope of preventing a measles epidemic. At the time of writing, 14 children with serious cases of measles have been hospitalized here – most unvaccinated.
Think of the trees!
■ THERE USED to be a rule in Israel, especially Jerusalem, that trees had a special status and were not to be cut down. But now that is changing. Admittedly, a lot of saplings have been planted on sidewalks in recent months, but old trees are being cut down to make way for light rail infrastructure. The German Colony’s excuse? Trees are sick and in danger of collapse.
Many nature lovers took this excuse with a grain of salt until this week, when an expectant father was killed by a fallen tree at Shamir Medical Center. He had taken his wife to the hospital and went outside to fetch a bottle of water when the tree fell on him and killed him. What should have been a joyous occasion was marred by tragedy.
Pedestrians in Emek Refaim, where there are several very old trees whose roots poke through the sidewalk and cause it to be uneven, were concerned about the future of the trees in the early days of discussions about the light rail, when Nir Barkat was still mayor. Opponents to the light rail running through Emek Refaim Street were interested in preserving the trees in the very places where they had stood for decades.
Now, after the calamity at the Shamir Medical Center, tree lovers should take this as a warning sign, and earnest examinations of old trees should be performed in urban areas.
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