Ian Lillicrap, one of the photographers, spoke to us about the experience of photographing a number of major occasions: sometimes all three picture takers would attend the same event, so as not to miss a vital image.

The first pictures are of Chanukah in December 2005, the last are of a salmon smoking business in Hackney which is closing after three generations to make way for a 2012 Olympics site. We also see images from the dissolution dinner of the '43 group: Jewish military veterans who fought in the Second World War and then formed an organisation to combat fascism on the streets of London. They have now disbanded after more than 60 years. So the photographers caught some of these scenes just in time as they pass into history.

The exhibition was opened by culture minister David Lammy who praised it for not being afraid to cover what is difficult and conflicted about multiculturalism, as well as happy images of the celebration of festivals. He said that the interaction of cultures required "mature, sophisticated and informed discussion" - a movement beyond the "saris and steel drums" picture of communities.

He's right: the strength of this exhibition is in embracing non-stock images. Some are highly political: one shows a traditionally dressed Jewish man carrying a sign saying "Judaism rejects Zionism and the Zionist state Israel" contrasted by another of London schoolchildren waving Israeli flags. Another shows the first gay Jewish wedding taking place in Brighton earlier this year. Many pictures also remind us of the Black and Asian Jewish experience. Ian Lillicrap said "there are very few places that we were not allowed to go". The other two photographers were Rena Pearl and Arnhel de Serra.

An accompanying short film shows us the range of people who are connected by a Jewish identity - from young Indian women to a retired judge, to a gay history activist (Jack Gilbert) and an ex-MP (Oona King). It also shows Rabbi Louis Jacobs who sadly died a few days before the exhibition opened. All the speakers carefully turn over their potential identities as British or Asian or European, religious or secular. Some tie their Jewish identity to a deep faith in God, others to buying herrings in Temple Fortune.

The strong non-professional images also lend further depth. The result is an exhibition that does not just speak to the Jewish community, but gives a thoughtful picture of the variety of London experience in 2006.