Gam zè yaavor – This too shall pass

Recreation in our Community with Hanna Berlin

On Tuesday and Wednesday, December 9th and 10th, our Community enjoyed two enriching moments thanks to a ceramic painting workshop, an activity already successfully tested and revived for the second time. The workshop was led by Hannah Berlin, an architect living in Florence, who came especially and voluntarily at the initiative of Councilor Carla D’Asdia.
Hannah, a ceramic artist, brought with her materials and paints and guided a group of participants of all ages in decorating ceramic plates, teaching them to paint letters inspired by famous phrases and sayings from our tradition. This edition of the workshop, born from a shared effort with our own Alessandra Somekh, focused on the saying “Gam zè yaavor”, “this too shall pass,” the words that, according to tradition, were engraved on King Solomon’s seal. A formula with strong symbolic value, designed to maintain the inner balance necessary to understand that both great triumphs and moments of weakness and failure are destined to pass, helping us to put what happens to us into perspective, in the knowledge that nothing lasts forever.
Sunny and enthusiastic, Hannah explains: “I’m a person in love with ceramics. A few years ago I started working with it, choosing to focus exclusively on the Hebrew alphabet. From there, my sculptures were born, as well as the workshop I run as a volunteer. Perhaps I could call myself an artist, but first and foremost, I’m someone who loves creating, giving, and sharing.”
In the photograph taken in 2023, on the occasion of the European Day of Jewish Culture, dedicated to the theme “Beauty”, in which Hannah participated, the artist is portrayed while creating a sculpture of the word Yofì (beauty).
It was a peaceful and relaxing morning and afternoon, which left everyone wanting to repeat this experience soon.
Thank you, Hanna.

Ruth Mussi