Hot: Supermodel Heidi Klum in the dress which sparked the joke from comedian Joan Rivers. She said: 'The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into ovens' Joan Rivers has been blasted by a Jewish pressure group for a joke she made about German supermodel Heidi Klum's daring Oscars outfit. 'The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into the ovens', said the 79-year-old - herself Jewish - before doubling over with laughter. The veteran comedian made the comment . about the Holocaust on Monday's Fashion Police show on E! when reviewing . the low-cut shimmering gold dress worn by the German beauty to attend Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party in West Hollywood. The joke has attracted the wrath of the Anti-Defamation League, an organisation that combats antisemitism, and says Rivers has trivialised an horrific event. ADL leader Abraham Foxman said: 'Of all people, Joan Rivers should know better. This remark is so vulgar and offensive to Jews and Holocaust survivors, and indeed to all Americans, that we cannot believe it made it to the airwaves. 'Making it worse, not one of her co-hosts made any effort to respond or to condemn this hideous statement, leaving it hanging out there and giving it added legitimacy through their silence. 'Almost as bad as her original comment is the fact that she sat there doubled over with laughter after saying it.' He continued: 'There are certain things about the Holocaust that should be taboo. This is especially true for Jews, for whom the Holocaust is still a deeply painful memory. 'It is vulgar and offensive for anybody to use the death of six million Jews and millions of others in the Holocaust to make a joke, but this is especially true for someone who is Jewish and who proudly and publicly wears her Jewishness on her sleeve.' Rivers has refused to apologise, claiming her her humour help to keeps the Holocaust in the public consciousness. She said: 'My husband lost the . majority of his family at Auschwitz, and I can assure you that I have . always made it a point to remind people of the Holocaust through humor.' Joan's husband, Edgar Rosenberg, was born in Germany but his family emigrated to Denmark and then South Africa in order to escape the Nazis. They married in 1965 after he hired her to work with him on a screenplay. He committed suicide by overdosing on prescription drugs in 1987. Scroll down for video . Rivers, who is Jewish, says her humour helps remind people about the Holocaust . Joan Rivers poses with her husband Edgar Rosenberg and daughter Melissa. He died in 1987 . New York Times best-selling thriller writer Joel C. Rosenberg, called the outburst 'disgusting', before tweeting '@Joan_Rivers should apologize to Jews and victims of the Holocaust. This is nothing to be joked about'. He later added'@Joan_Rivers should apologize to @HeidiKlum and the German people immediately. That was a terrible, reprehensible thing to say.' Blogger Laurdoone was equally scathing, tweeting: 'Why are we blasting Joan Rivers for her bad jokes when her bad plastic surgery is much much worse?' The . comedian has fallen foul of the ADL in the past. Last year, when . protesting Costco’s decision not to carry her book 'I Hate . Everything...Starting With Me', she compared the retailers to Nazi . Germany. Rage: The ADL described her joke as 'hideous', 'vulgar' and 'offensive' and demanded an apology . Heidi Klum at the 21st Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar Viewing Party. On the right she is pictured with the British superstar . 'Germany is where banning books started, and it can start here just as quickly,' she said at the time. After she was criticised, she responded: 'Don’t talk to me about the Holocaust!' Yesterday Rivers was criticised for . mocking British singer Adele's weight on The David Letterman Show after . she met her at the ceremony. She said: 'She was very scared because she . sang at the awards,' Rivers explained. '(She said) "My throat, my . throat, I don’t know if I can swallow!" 'I said, "Oh, yeah — you can swallow!"' Klum has not issued a statement about the joke. Horror: The entrance to Auschwitz concentration camp. Rivers says her husband lost many of his family there . In her book, Rivers quips about Whitney Houston's tragic death: 'I hate Houston. It’s crawling with bugs. Oh, wait, that’s Whitney Houston; I’m sorry, my bad. (Can I just mention that Whitney looked fabulous at the Grammys? She was in mahogany from head to toe.)' The comedy legend once ditched a joke, comparing First Lady Michelle Obama to Jackie Onassis, from her stand-up routine over racism fears. Recalling the wisecrack to DJ Howard Stern, the comedy legend said: 'We used to have Jackie O now we have Blackie O!' In 2004 she stunned New Yorkers, still raw from 9/11, when she mocked reports the CITIGROUP building in Manhattan was a terrorist target. Rivers said: 'I hope it goes down. It's so ugly. I'm helping them load them (bombs) in.' Last years she sparked a royal row with a sick joke about the death of Princess Diana, also on Fashion Police. The comedian advised the Duchess of Cambridge 'If you ever want to go to Paris, fly, don't take the tunnel.' As well as mocking singer Adele for her weight, she also made fun of Christina Aguilera, calling her 'fatso' and joking that she once came over to her table in a restaurant and said: 'You gonna finish that?'
Veteran comedian made comment on E! fashion show .
She was talking about the sexy dress worn by the German supermodel .
Rivers, herself Jewish, has been blasted by Anti-Defamation League .
The ADL branded the crack 'hideous' but she refused to apologise .
Hot: Supermodel Heidi Klum in the dress which sparked the joke from comedian Joan Rivers. She said: 'The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into ovens' Joan Rivers has been blasted by a Jewish pressure group for a joke she made about German supermodel Heidi Klum's daring Oscars outfit. 'The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into the ovens', said the 79-year-old - herself Jewish - before doubling over with laughter. The veteran comedian made the comment . about the Holocaust on Monday's Fashion Police show on E! when reviewing . the low-cut shimmering gold dress worn by the German beauty to attend Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party in West Hollywood. The joke has attracted the wrath of the Anti-Defamation League, an organisation that combats antisemitism, and says Rivers has trivialised an horrific event. ADL leader Abraham Foxman said: 'Of all people, Joan Rivers should know better. This remark is so vulgar and offensive to Jews and Holocaust survivors, and indeed to all Americans, that we cannot believe it made it to the airwaves. 'Making it worse, not one of her co-hosts made any effort to respond or to condemn this hideous statement, leaving it hanging out there and giving it added legitimacy through their silence. 'Almost as bad as her original comment is the fact that she sat there doubled over with laughter after saying it.' He continued: 'There are certain things about the Holocaust that should be taboo. This is especially true for Jews, for whom the Holocaust is still a deeply painful memory. 'It is vulgar and offensive for anybody to use the death of six million Jews and millions of others in the Holocaust to make a joke, but this is especially true for someone who is Jewish and who proudly and publicly wears her Jewishness on her sleeve.' Rivers has refused to apologise, claiming her her humour help to keeps the Holocaust in the public consciousness. She said: 'My husband lost the . majority of his family at Auschwitz, and I can assure you that I have . always made it a point to remind people of the Holocaust through humor.' Joan's husband, Edgar Rosenberg, was born in Germany but his family emigrated to Denmark and then South Africa in order to escape the Nazis. They married in 1965 after he hired her to work with him on a screenplay. He committed suicide by overdosing on prescription drugs in 1987. Scroll down for video . Rivers, who is Jewish, says her humour helps remind people about the Holocaust . Joan Rivers poses with her husband Edgar Rosenberg and daughter Melissa. He died in 1987 . New York Times best-selling thriller writer Joel C. Rosenberg, called the outburst 'disgusting', before tweeting '@Joan_Rivers should apologize to Jews and victims of the Holocaust. This is nothing to be joked about'. He later added'@Joan_Rivers should apologize to @HeidiKlum and the German people immediately. That was a terrible, reprehensible thing to say.' Blogger Laurdoone was equally scathing, tweeting: 'Why are we blasting Joan Rivers for her bad jokes when her bad plastic surgery is much much worse?' The . comedian has fallen foul of the ADL in the past. Last year, when . protesting Costco’s decision not to carry her book 'I Hate . Everything...Starting With Me', she compared the retailers to Nazi . Germany. Rage: The ADL described her joke as 'hideous', 'vulgar' and 'offensive' and demanded an apology . Heidi Klum at the 21st Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar Viewing Party. On the right she is pictured with the British superstar . 'Germany is where banning books started, and it can start here just as quickly,' she said at the time. After she was criticised, she responded: 'Don’t talk to me about the Holocaust!' Yesterday Rivers was criticised for . mocking British singer Adele's weight on The David Letterman Show after . she met her at the ceremony. She said: 'She was very scared because she . sang at the awards,' Rivers explained. '(She said) "My throat, my . throat, I don’t know if I can swallow!" 'I said, "Oh, yeah — you can swallow!"' Klum has not issued a statement about the joke. Horror: The entrance to Auschwitz concentration camp. Rivers says her husband lost many of his family there . In her book, Rivers quips about Whitney Houston's tragic death: 'I hate Houston. It’s crawling with bugs. Oh, wait, that’s Whitney Houston; I’m sorry, my bad. (Can I just mention that Whitney looked fabulous at the Grammys? She was in mahogany from head to toe.)' The comedy legend once ditched a joke, comparing First Lady Michelle Obama to Jackie Onassis, from her stand-up routine over racism fears. Recalling the wisecrack to DJ Howard Stern, the comedy legend said: 'We used to have Jackie O now we have Blackie O!' In 2004 she stunned New Yorkers, still raw from 9/11, when she mocked reports the CITIGROUP building in Manhattan was a terrorist target. Rivers said: 'I hope it goes down. It's so ugly. I'm helping them load them (bombs) in.' Last years she sparked a royal row with a sick joke about the death of Princess Diana, also on Fashion Police. The comedian advised the Duchess of Cambridge 'If you ever want to go to Paris, fly, don't take the tunnel.' As well as mocking singer Adele for her weight, she also made fun of Christina Aguilera, calling her 'fatso' and joking that she once came over to her table in a restaurant and said: 'You gonna finish that?'
Rivers has been blasted by a Jewish pressure group for a joke she made about German supermodel Police show on E! when reviewing . the low-cut shimmering gold dress worn by the German beauty Rivers has refused to apologise, claiming her her retailers to Nazi . Germany. Rage: The ADL about the Holocaust!' Yesterday Rivers was