it still stands – a journey into Jewish family history in Belarus

This month, The Together Plan had the privilege of giving a private talk to a family society based in the USA. Their request came with a powerful connection to the past: their ancestor had been born in a tiny village called Rudnya, located in what was once the Minsk Governorate of Tsarist Russia. That region today is part of modern-day Belarus.

Their ancestor, born in 1778, was a flour miller of modest means, who went on to raise seven children—five sons and two daughters. He lived a long life and died in 1874, aged 96, and was buried in Kamien, a nearby suburb of Rudnya.

When the society approached us, they asked if we could present a talk about the history of the Jews of Belarus. We were delighted to say yes. Our talk gave a sweeping overview of Jewish life in the region over the past 700 years. But what the group didn’t expect was a surprise we had prepared especially for them—personalised research into their family’s ancestral story.

At The Together Plan, we are fortunate to have a dedicated heritage team, including archive researchers and regional specialists who help individuals around the world find their roots in Belarus. When we received the invitation to speak, we saw an opportunity to go deeper. But first, we had a challenge to overcome.

There are around ten towns and villages named Rudnya across the Belarusian and Russian regions. The name comes from “ruda,” meaning ore—a reference to the rich iron deposits found in glacial boulders scattered across these areas. Many towns built near these natural resources took on variations of the name Rudnya.

We asked the family a few key questions—and with their help, we were able to pinpoint the correct Rudnya. Once we had the location, our heritage specialist in Belarus, Tamara Vershitskaya, got to work. With the help of one of our trusted archivists—part of the team that runs our archive search service—we dug deeper.

The results were extraordinary.

Not only did we find historical records that confirmed the family’s presence in that town, but we also discovered something unexpected and moving: the remains of the very flour mill where their ancestor had once worked are still standing, perched on the banks of the River Usa.

Needless to say, when we revealed these findings during the talk, the emotional impact was profound. For a family seeking connection to a past that had long felt distant, the discovery of tangible links to their roots—names in records, stories unearthed, a building still standing—was deeply meaningful.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           At The Together Plan, this is why we do what we do. We are not just sharing history—we are helping people step into it, connect with it, and carry it forward, and we were delighted to receive this wonderful testimonial after the talk:

Our Jewish family society has been in existence since 1913. Though started in New York, we have members all over the United States. We have long been interested in the history of our ancestors before they emigrated to the States from Minsk in, what was then, Russia. With that in mind, we turned to the ‘The Together Plan’ and their US partner ‘Jewish Tapestry Project’ to put together an exploration of Jewish life in the Pale of Settlement in Belarus. Nearly three dozen members joined on Zoom with presenters Debra Brunner (UK), Artur Livshyts (Minsk) and Tamara Vershitskaya (Novogrudok) to hear about Jewish history in Belarus, Poland and Russia. It was a fascinating 90 minutes with photographs, maps and charts. The big ‘Aha’ moment came when Tamara surprised us with recent photographs taken of the ruins of the flour mill in a tiny Belarussian hamlet that was the business of my 5 times Great Grandfather. We were floored by this research and the thoroughness of The Together Plan’s artful presentation. It was so worthwhile and it gave us a greater sense of where we came from and who we are today.

                                                                                                                                             Phil Cantor

                                                                                                                                             New Jersey, USA

If you’re curious about your own family’s story in Belarus, our Archive Services might just be the place to begin—or indeed, a private family talk like this one. You never know what discoveries are waiting just beneath the surface.

For information about The Together Plan’s Archive Services – click here

If you are interested in a private family talk – please email us [email protected]