German-Jewish photographers left their landmark in the photographic history. Having in mind that photography always reflects the social background of its creation, parts of their photographic heritage can be understood as a way of self-depicting German Jewry. This article analyses the influence of the discourse on Jewish identity on photography and its entanglement with the photographers‘ biographies. Starting with the first half of the 20th century, the ideals of the New Woman and the New Jew strongly influenced portrait photography. This article outlines, however, that photographers themselves not necessarily corresponded to the images they were creating. Recent criticism about cultural essentialism, in turn, is reflected in contemporary photography. Today’s most controversial photography refuses to think inside the box of authentic, cultural representation and offers a hybrid image of Jewish identity in popular culture.