“I’m very happy. It’s something special,” said Tova Ringer, a 93-year-old great-grandmother born in Poland, after she was crowned “Miss Holocaust Survivor” in a beauty pageant in Haifa. The Oct. 14 pageant was Israel's dedication to women who survived the horrors of World War II. /VCG Photo

“I’m very happy. It’s something special,” said Tova Ringer, a 93-year-old great-grandmother born in Poland, after she was crowned “Miss Holocaust Survivor” in a beauty pageant in Haifa. The Oct. 14 pageant was Israel dedication to women who survived the horrors of World War II. /VCG Photo

Two authors of Holocaust memoirs, a retired gynecologist and gas technician who are both 81 years old, and the youngest, a 74-year-old teacher, cautiously trod the catwalk - at times assisted among a dozen other contestants. /VCG Photo

Several generations of relatives, along with well-wishers, cheered them on and snapped pictures. /VCG Photo

The night echoed the event’s message that the contest honors those whose youth was stolen in wartime in Europe but who went on build new lives for themselves in Israel. /VCG Photo