Zahava Ben, a Sephardic Jew, is one of the more popular Israeli singers. She frequently tours in the Palestine Authority and has achieved a great deal of success in Egypt singing the songs of the legendary Umm Kulthoum. Drag queen Dana International brought Israeli pop international fame in 1998 when she won the Eurovision Song Contest. In many places Middle Eastern-style music, heavy on synthesizers and drum machines, blasts from car stereos and boomboxes: this is muzika mizrahit , very popular with Sephardic Jews . STUDIO ART AND ARCHITECTURE. Israel boasts a vibrant art scene, which incor- porates both folk art and modern art. Many works are inspired by Jewish themes. Check out Israel Art Guide to find out about current exhibitions throughout the country. The urban landscape in Israel is dominated by Israeli architecture, because not much construction took place in Palestine before the Zionists arrived. Many of the area's finest old Islamic buildings are located in Jerusalem's Old City . When the Zionists came to Israel, they desired to begin life afresh; as a result, much Israeli architecture is characterized by design styles that were cutting-edge in the early 20th century. THEATER AND DANCE. Israeli theater combines Western classics, such as Shakespeare and Chekov, with local creations. The national theater, the Habimah, is in Tel Aviv. Not surprisingly, Yiddish theater is quite popular in Israel. The most famous Palestinian theater group is Al-Hakawati, based in East Jerusalem. Group dances play an important part in ceremonies in both Israel and Palestine. FILM. Israel has a thriving film industry with numerous festivals and award ceremo- nies, mcluding an Israeli version of the Academy Awards. In the much lauded Urs al-Jalil by Palestinian director Michel Khleifi, a Palestin- ian is granted permission to waive curfew in order to hold his son's wedding, on the condition that Israeli officers be allowed to attend. Other successful films include Clara Ha-Kedosha , which revolves around a thirteen-year-old girl with supernatural powers, and Etz Ha-Domim Tafus which deals with teenage survivors of the Holocaust in Israel in the 1950s. HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS_ Arrange your itinerary with an awareness of holidays. Dates listed in this section are for 2003. In Israel, most businesses and public facilities close Friday afternoon for Shabbat, the Jewish sabbath, and reopen at sundown on Saturday. They also close for Jewish holidays, which begin at sunset on the previous day. Pesah, or Passover , celebrates the exodus of the Jews from Egypt. Observant Jews refrain from eating bread and pastries; products made with regular flour and leav- ening agents may be hard to come by in Jewish areas. Shavuot celebrates the giving of the Torah, the Hebrew name for the first five books of the Old Testa- ment. Rosh Ha-Shana , HOLI DAYS 2 0 03 «33 observant Jews fast in atonement for their sins and Israel shuts down entirely.