Miss Israel 1950: Miriam Yaron

Miriam Yaron

Let me introduce you to some beautiful women! This is the first installment of a series of posts about the winners and runners-up of Israel's "Malkat Hayofi", or Queen of Beauty contest, also called Miss Israel.

The very first Miss Israel, Miriam Yaron, was crowned in 1950. Doesn't she have a great early fifties look in this photograph? All hair, and smoky eyes, and terrific legs.

Miriam was born in Germany in 1929. When she won Miss Israel she was a married woman with a baby. One of the differences between Israel's beauty pageants and most others is that married women were always allowed to compete.

She was also a nurse. The postcard image below shows her in a less glamorous, but equally beautiful role.

This was two years after the founding of the State of Israel! Imagine it. It was a nation full of refugees, fleeing from the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. A terrifying war for independence and survival had just ended. And what do they do? They have a beauty pageant, of course!!

Left to right: Yaffa Schpitzer, Yaron and Carmela Fargi. Fargi and Schpitzer were first and second runners-up in 1950.

Miriam Yaron, in her nursing uniform.