Day 13 - What's a Grotto?
*Rosh Hanikra Grottos *International Dance Village
*Dinner in Tzfat *Concert with Tziona Achishena
We drove to Rosh Hanikra on the Mediterranean coast to see the grottos there, a network of water filled caves. A cable car transported us to the wind swept cliffs that opened onto the grottos, and we watched a short informational video before going in. The water in the caves was the exact aquamarine that you would expect from the Mediterranean and the loud rushing of the water was mesmerizingly beautiful.
The Grotto, Picture by Aliza Engle
The most interesting sounding thing on our itinerary was the "International Dance Village." The words conjured up images of tribal dances and singing Kumbaya. In the end, it turned out be a dance school with an international company, but seeing the company practice and the student company's entrancing routine about memories erased all doubts from our minds.
Dance Impressions, by Noa Engle
Dance Company Practice:
It was so interesting to hear about the meaning and depth behind the dance that they were working on. I felt like they all had Judaism in them.
-Tzivia Druin
We were treated to another visit by a Tzfat artist, Tziona Achishena. Tziona actually came to Pittsburgh for a concert a few years ago in conjunction with Tzohar, and both parties were delighted by an opportunity to meet up again. Tziona's diverse array of original songs, meaningful lyrics, and rich voice had us in for a great evening. She is a great example of a strong female artist, and that feminine power really shone through her songs and the stories behind them.
Tziona had such a beautiful voice, and I really enjoyed her performance. It was lovely to hear Jewish country songs.
-Tzivia Druin
If you thought it couldn’t get any more wholesome and beautiful, she then handed out tambourines for us to play, and the whole night got intensely brighter. -Sarah Eckstein
Tziona Acishena’s concert was so beautiful and relaxing that when I found a slug in my hair in the middle of the concert, I didn’t freak out as much as I should have. :) -Chana Rochel Lerner