Remembering Jewish Life Before WWII Through a Photography Festival
When we think of pre-WWII Jewish history, it’s easy for the mind to gravitate toward images of despair, persecution, and loss. However, there was a time before the horrors of the Holocaust when Jewish communities across Europe were alive with culture, tradition, and vibrancy. This vitality is beautifully captured in the exhibition “And I Still See Their Faces,” which will be showcased at the 11th edition of the Photo Is
festival in Tel Aviv from March 27 to April 6. This event promises to highlight the thriving Jewish life that existed before the dark times of Hitler’s regime, with 50 exhibitions featuring renowned artists from both Israel and abroad.
The exhibition, initiated by Golda Tencer, a prominent Polish Jewish actress and director, presents an emotional journey through thousands of personal and archival photographs depicting Jewish life in Poland before the Second World War. This collection was born from a call Tencer put out nearly 30 years ago for the public to submit images, many of which had been stored in attics and basements, or salvaged from ruins after the war. Over 9,000 photographs were gathered, providing a rare and intimate glimpse into the everyday lives of Jewish people before the Holocaust swept through Europe. Unfortunately, most of the individuals captured in these images did not survive the tragedy that followed.
Curating the Past for a New Generation
Michal Shapira, the exhibition’s curator, worked alongside Eyal Landasman, the founder of Photo Is, to bring this important collection to life. In collaboration with the Shalom Foundation and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Shapira traveled to Warsaw to assess Tencer’s 1990s-era collection. With the help of modern technology, many of the old photographs were restored, allowing their stories to be preserved for future generations. Shapira’s vision extends beyond simply displaying historical images—she seeks to engage young artists in reinterpreting these photographs, blending the old with the new to create a multi-generational dialogue about Jewish history.
The exhibit invites visitors to witness snapshots of everyday life—such as elderly individuals reading newspapers or groups of friends sharing joyful moments—while also touching on the darker chapter of Jewish history, including rare photographs from the Warsaw Ghetto. Through this compelling fusion of past and present, Shapira aims to foster a deeper emotional connection between viewers and the people who lived through these times. The exhibition provides a window into a lost world, offering a powerful reminder of the resilience and vibrancy of the Jewish people before the Holocaust.