Twenty years ago, a week after Israel celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, a 26 year-old former drag-queen and trans woman won the world’s biggest song contest, The Eurovision. She also forever changed the way we Israelis see ourselves. In this very special edition, Noah tells her story, and explains why he thinks that in this moment of anxiety and dreadful Nation-State laws, Dana International represents the humane and decent Zionism so many of us long for.

We discuss 1) the concrete wall being built along Israel’s northern border, to separate us from those who might want to do us harm 2) why our wards and clinics are so rife with violence, as nurses around the country went on strike, and 3) the swift rise of co-housing, which some people call “Kibbutz 2.0.”

We discuss 1) the outpouring of empathy for Druze anguish and insult over the Nation-State law 2) a new movie about the heroic birth of the Sephardi Ultra-Orthodox party Shas, and 3) the enraged response of some women to a program to promote breastfeeding.

We discuss 1) surveys that show Likud voters are socialist, gay and lesbian supporting, religious pluralists, who are far to the left of their leaders on most matters 2) the embrace offered the LGBTQ community by hundreds of Israeli corporations, and 3) what makes a great street great, and why can’t we build more?

We discuss 1) the Nation-State Law, enacted after 7 years of debate, amendment, and watering down 2) the decision of 2 environmental NGOs to support building an offshore gas rig, and 3) with Israeli shows reaching Broadway and our Netflix cue, how did Israel go from being a “Start-Up Nation” to becoming a “Stage and Screen Nation”?