“You Can’t Be Beautiful and Hate”: The First Jewish Miss America and Her Battle Against Antisemitism
The Miss America pageant was founded in 1921, initially as a bathing suit contest. Later on, it became a beauty, talent and poise pageant whose contestants sought to bring about world peace, which is how we know it today. The competing and winning criteria have, however, changed a bit every few years. No one remembers most of the Miss America winners, but there some who are unforgettable, including Bess Myerson. It took close to 25 years for a Jewish girl to win the coveted title. Bess Myerson, who was crowned in 1945, was the first Jewish Miss America, and the[]