A major photography exhibition documenting Greater Hartford’s Jewish community will open in December at the Mandell Jewish Community Center, featuring nearly 50 black-and-white portraits by photographer Steven Laschever.
“Jewish Hartford. Our Community. Our Stories.” runs from Dec. 7 to Jan. 23, 2026, at the community center’s Chase Family Gallery, 335 Bloomfield Ave. in West Hartford. An opening-day reception, featuring live music and refreshments, is set for 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The exhibit captures diverse community members, including university presidents, judges, Holocaust survivors, educators and first responders.
Laschever, a veteran photographer with the Hartford Business Journal, has documented the region’s Jewish community for more than 40 years. He was inspired by the documentary style of French photographer Frederic Brenner.
“With this project, I wanted to capture the character — and maybe even the spirit — of each person I photographed,” Laschever said.
The project aims to showcase the community’s cultural contributions at a time when antisemitism has increased nationally.
“This project began with a simple idea: to hold up a mirror to our community and see who we are today,” said David Jacobs, CEO of the Mandell JCC. “What emerged is a portrait of Jewish Hartford that is proud, complex and deeply connected.”
The center also plans to release a companion coffee table book.
The nonprofit Mandell JCC serves people of all backgrounds and ages. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
More information is available at jewishhartfordphotos.org.
