
Beauty School's Pick of the Day is the absolutely gorgeous Miss Israel 2011 Kim Edri, seen here pre-taping a segment in advance of the live contest on September 12. (Photo: Reuters)

Beauty School's Pick of the Day is the absolutely gorgeous Miss Israel 2011 Kim Edri, seen here pre-taping a segment in advance of the live contest on September 12. (Photo: Reuters)

The new Miss Israel 2011 was crowned just hours ago. She is Ella Ran, 21, and will represent her Middle East nation in Miss World 2011. Ran is a discharged Israel Defense Forces who works as a purchase clerk and is planning to begin her academic studies next year. The glittering ceremony that saw Ran crowned as Miss Israel 2011 was held at Haifa's Congress Center.
Tonight, on many PBS television stations across the USA, the documentary "Contestant No. 2" will air on WIDE ANGLE. Check your local listings and don't miss it! The documentary tells the story of Duah Fares, an Arab-Israeli teenager and member of the Druze minority, a religious sect living predominantly in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. Duah longs to be an international superstar like Angelina Jolie. But when she changes her name to Angelina and sets her sights on the Miss Israel pageant, her tight-knit religious community balks. Miss Israel requires a bathing suit competition, but to appear that way in public would disgrace her family and even put her in danger from those who would rather see her dead than see the community dishonored. "Contestant No. 2" follows Fares and her family as they navigate the boundaries of traditional values while she tries to reach her dream. This episode of WIDE ANGLE is the US television version of the theatrical film "Lady Kul el Arab."
Mazel Tov to the nation of Israel on its 60th birthday! From the 1950's through the 1970's, Israel could always be counted on to send a strong contender to both Miss World and Miss Universe, winning the Miss Universe title in 1976. In the 1980's and 1990's, Israel lost its luster at Miss Universe, but won the Miss World title in 1998. In 2001, Ilanit Levy broke a long dry spell at Miss Universe and cracked the top ten.