Mayer Feig held up an old black-and-white photo. It was of his paternal grandparents and their three children taken in prewar Poland. Only his grandfather would survive the near-annihilation of the Jews in that country.

Feig, a member of the Quebec Council of Hasidic Jews, showed the picture at the opening of an exhibition of photographs of contemporary Hasidim being held at the municipally-owned Galerie d’Outremont until May 28.

These artistically rendered pictures by Agnieszka Traczewska., a Catholic Pole, provide a rare glimpse into the daily lives and celebrations of Hasidim in several countries. The photographs are a testament to the fact that Hasidim are flourishing despite being decimated in the Holocaust.

A World Rekindled is presented jointly by the Polish consulate in Montreal and the borough of Outremont, which has experienced tensions between its large Hasidic community and other residents for many years.

With relations now less strained, borough Mayor Laurent Desbois said that the aim of the exhibition is to demystify the Hasidim and promote better understanding among Outremont residents, as well as the other visitors it is hoped it will attract.

Traczewska, a film producer, began photographing Hasidim in 2006, starting with those from abroad who made pilgrimages to the Polish gravesites of revered spiritual leaders. Everyone told her it would be impossible to get their consent; she being a non-Jewish woman wielding a camera at a sacred ceremony, no less.

Traczewska, 54, who was present for the opening, which was held on Yom ha-Shoah, said she grew up under communism knowing nothing about her country’s Jewish history, not even in her native Krakow, home to a vibrant Jewish community for hundreds of years.

Gradually, however, she gained the trust of the Hasidim. The photos are intimate yet respectful, with a painterly quality, often taken in homes and synagogues.

The Quebec Council of Hasidic Jews welcomed Outremont’s gesture. Hasidim account for about one-quarter of Outremont’s population today.

Feig said he hopes that exhibition will provide a window into how the community lives and applauded Traczewska’s sensitivity.

Over the years, Traczewska extended her range beyond Poland. The images in A World Rekindled were taken in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Israel; Sao Paolo, Brazil; and Antwerp, Belgium.

Her goal, she said, is to “rekindle” the memory of communities that were almost erased, and document their flourishing today. “I am trying to keep alive the memory of those who disappeared in my country,” she said.

“When you cross the boundary and immerse yourself in the Hasidic culture, you discover a completely different world than what you see from the outside.”

Similar exhibitions of her work have taken place in several countries, including the United Nations headquarters in New York in 2019. A book of the same name was published in 2020.

“Hosting this exceptional exhibition in Outremont demonstrates our desire to build bridges between the different communities,” said Mayor Desbois, who was elected in November.

“It is a great opportunity to learn more about the lives of members of the Hasidic Jewish community, with whom we cross paths regularly. In addition, A World Rekindled and its related activities show that our gallery can host world-class events.”

The Polish consulate’s co-sponsorship speaks to that country’s desire to show that it is mindful of remembering its Jewish history. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs provided much of the financial support that made the exhibition possible.

Polish Consul General Dariusz Wisniewski said Traczewska is “an exceptional artist who has been documenting the life of Hasidic communities around the world for years. I am delighted that her photos will be exhibited at Galerie Outremont so that everyone can be inspired to better understand and develop greater harmony among neighbours.”

He added that until communism ended in Poland in 1990, the government downplayed the 1,000-year history of the Jews in that country.

“We are trying as a state, as a society, to give the right place to all aspects of our history, including the most difficult times,” Wisniewski said. “The Jewish community was erased from Polish history despite their presence for over nine centuries. We are trying today to recognize their presence and rediscover this lost time.”

Outremont borough councillor Mindy Pollak, a member of the Hasidic community and granddaughter of survivors, noted the contrast between the Yom ha-Shoah commemoration she attended, where the murder of six million souls was mourned, and seeing these “joyful, vivid photos.”

The exhibition is a step in the rapprochement between citizens that she has tried to bring about since being elected to office almost 10 years ago, she said.

Cross-cultural activities are offered throughout the exhibition, including guided tours in English and French, school visits, conferences, roundtable discussions, and informal meetings.

Galerie d’Outremont is located at 41 Saint-Just Ave., between Bernard and St. Viateur avenues.