The Portrait Identity Project

The Portrait Identity Project uses portraiture photography and interviews to share stories that diversify the lens through which Jewish narratives are told, stimulate reflection on intersectional identities, and drive inclusive community-building.

Julia conceptualized and produced this social documentary photography series while working at Tulane Hillel, where she engaged in hundreds of conversations and spent hours listening to what students at Tulane care about. One thing became clear from these conversations: there is no single story about what it means to be Jewish, despite what we might have learned. 

As an artist and a photographer, this realization sparked the creation of the Portrait Identity Project, a documentary photography series that challenges preconceptions of Jewish identity and facilitates identity formation.

Through her lens, Julia explores the intersectionality of Jewish identities, inviting viewers to:

1. Recognize themselves in others' stories

2. Reconsider their notions of what being Jewish "looks like"

3. Embrace the multifaceted nature of identity