A Filipina caregiver, once part of a faceless crowd of foreign workers who tend to Israel's infirm and elderly, has won one of the country's most popular TV singing contests. Competing in Israel's version of "The X-Factor," 47-year old Rose Fostanes swept the judges off their feet in Tuesday's final with a winning rendition of the Frank Sinatra standard "My Way." After her victory, Fostanes said she was grateful for all the support she had received. "Thank you so much to all the Israelis who support me, thank you so much. Thank you so much also for giving us chance to join in a competition like this," she said. "I really can't believe that I won 'The X-Factor Israel.'" Her mentor on the show, Israeli singer Shiri Maimon, said Fostanes deserved the win. "She's amazing. She's an amazing person and I'm happy for her. ... We came a long way to come here to the final and we did it," she said. In the run-up to the final, Fostanes said she hoped her popularity on the show would shine a spotlight on Israel's low-paid foreign workers, who include about 20,000 Filipinos. She has been compared to the Scottish singer Susan Boyle, who shot to fame in 2009 after appearing on the TV show "Britain's Got Talent" and performing a powerful rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables." For many Israelis, the word "Filipino" has become synonymous with caregiver, and Fostanes' appearance and success on "The X-Factor" could help break the stereotype.
Fostanes, who came to Israel four years ago, has been working for about 20 years across the Middle East, and currently cares for an ailing woman in Tel Aviv.
