World Jewish News
Russian ice skating contest features Holocaust-themed performance
28.11.2016, Culture The social media sphere reacted with a largely cold reception after two "celebrity" ice skaters, donning Holocaust-era Jewish prison uniforms fitted with yellow stars of David, performed Saturday night on the Russian reality television show "Ice Age."
Olympic ice dance champion Tatiana Navka, along with her skating partner Andrew Burkovsjy, slid and glided across the ice, in their chilling performance accompanied by "Beautiful that Way," Jewish Israeli singer Acinoam "Noa" Nini's vocal version of the theme song from the heart-wrenching Italian Holocaust film "Life is Beautiful."
Eyebrows were further raised as Navka is the wife of Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson. However, Saturday evening's number did not represent the first time Russian television featured performers dressed in Holocaust-themed decor to perform in a reality show competition.
In April, Russia's version of "Dancing with the Stars" featured a dance number starring a Nazi officer searching for a young Jewish girl hiding behind a piano.
The piece began with the officer playing the instrument, stopping suddenly and demanding the girl reveal herself before "shooting" his weapon at her feet. Taken aback at her beauty, he lowers his weapon and the two begin to dance to "Fly me to the Moon" by Frank Sinatra.
The piece arrived at a heartbreaking conclusion when an "enemy" assault leaves the Jewish girl dead on the ground while he screams and shoots randomly in no particular direction.
Russia's ostensibly insensitive posture toads the Jewish community also extended itself earlier this month, when a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson caused controversy after suggesting that the recent US presidential election was influenced by a "Jewish conspiracy," according to the BBC. During an interview with a Russian television chat show, Maria Zakharova quipped that the best template to gauge America's political landscape was the New York Jewish community.
"If you want to know what will happen in America, who do you need to talk to? You have to talk to the Jews, of course. It goes without saying." At this, the live studio audience applauded loudly, according to the BBC.
Zakharova added that she had formulated the claim while visiting New York during an official visit with a Russian delegation in September. "I have a lot of friends and acquaintances there, of course I was interested to find out: how are the elections going, what are the American people's expectations?"
The Russian state employee than attempted to mimic a Jewish accent and said Russian Jews had told her: "Marochka, understand this - we'll donate to Clinton, of course. But we'll give the Republicans twice that amount.' Enough said! That settled it for me - the picture was clear," adding that "if you want to know the future, don't read the mainstream newspapers - our people in Brighton [Beach] will tell you everything."
JPost.com
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