Memorial under construction in January 2025. Image credit: The Together Plan
walking through history – discoveries from Brest to Motal
Welcome to this month’s edition of The Together Plan newsletter, where we bring you stories that connect the past with the present and communities across borders. In this issue, Debra Brunner reflects on the extraordinary 12-year journey to the Brest-Litovsk Memorial, now just weeks away from completion. We offer a first glimpse of an exciting new club that will soon be opening its virtual doors, and we share the unexpected discoveries from a private family talk that revealed remarkable hidden history. Volunteer Neil Adams takes us on a 27-mile walk through Jewish Manchester to support the Brest project, and we round things off with a deep dive into the life of Chaim Weizmann—Israel’s first president—who was born in the small Belarusian town of Motal. There’s lots to discover, so read on and journey with us.
All the best
The Together Plan Team
upcoming events
Join our events to support us and learn more about what we do
open volunteer roles
We are growing our team and we need your help!
- 21st July – The Together Plan’s Archive Service – a trip to your roots (online event)
- 31st August – Jazz and Comedy evening (in-person event)
- Aid sorting and packing volunteer
- eBay and online sales volunteer
- Event planner
putting the Brest Cemetery back on the map - we are nearly there!
With one month to go until the opening of the new Brest-Litovsk Jewish cemetery memorial, Debra Brunner reflects on the journey. How we got to this point and how it has been a global effort—a tapestry of generosity, passion, and belief from people across the world.
opening our virtual doors - a new way to connect with The Together Plan. It’s coming!
There are exciting new developments on the horizon as we explore an exciting new way to bring our community of supporters even closer. A new community club is in development, which will offer a deeper relationship with the life and work of The Together Plan, wherever you are in the world.
it still stands - a journey into Jewish family history in Belarus
This month we gave a private talk for a USA based family society with ancestry in Belarus. Read the article and discover the unexpected surprise that was revealed to them.
footsteps of the past - walking Jewish Manchester for the Brest memorial
My fascination with Eastern Europe dates back to the mid-1990s. I was just totally fascinated by places that I realised I knew so little about after they were hidden from my “Western” eyes for half a century behind an Iron Curtain. Fast forward to 2025 as Neil Adams walks 27 miles to discover Jewish heritage on his doorstep in Manchester whilst raising money to preserve Jewish heritage in Belarus.
where it all began - Chaim Weizmann’s journey from Belarus to a Jewish State
Chaim Weizmann was the first president of Israel as well as a leading scientist with a doctorate in Organic Chemistry. He was elected president in 1949 and held the role until his death in 1952. But part of his lesser-known history involves his early life growing up in Motal.
