Sam Wirth - Photo credit: the Wirth Family
It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the sudden passing of Sam Wirth on Monday 30th June 2025, a deeply valued volunteer at The Together Plan.
Click on the images:
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- The Together Plan Archive Services monthly team meeting in March 2025 – Sam top right
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- Sam Wirth – Photo credit: the Wirth Family
Sam joined The Together Plan in August 2023, taking on the crucial role of caseworker in our Archive Services Department. From the very beginning, Sam approached his work with great care, thoughtfulness, and unwavering commitment. As a caseworker, he served as the vital bridge between clients—many from around the world—seeking to explore their Jewish family roots in Belarus, and our Archive Liaison Managers based locally in the country. Sam was always willing to help in whatever way he could and beyond the work he did as a caseworker, he was also a meticulous note taker at our monthly meetings. Sam’s attention to detail and his genuine compassion made him a natural in this role, and he quickly became an indispensable part of our team.
Beyond his casework, Sam played an instrumental role in our Brest-Litovsk Jewish cemetery memorial campaign—a project particularly close to his heart. In late 2023, he painstakingly reached out to people across the globe who shared ancestral ties to Brest, helping to grow a global network of descendants. This grassroots effort laid the foundation for our successful crowdfunding campaign in May 2024, which enabled the start of construction of the Brest Memorial. It is heart breaking that Sam did not get to see the memorial’s completion on the 28th July, a project he cared so deeply about. His dedication, however, lives on in the very stones of that memorial. This is his legacy.
Sam’s work with us was not only professional—it was also deeply personal. His mother’s family came from Minsk, and he often spoke of how meaningful it was for him to be part of an initiative that connected people with their heritage and history. That personal connection imbued his work with a quiet passion that touched everyone around him.
To those who had the pleasure of working with Sam, he was not just a colleague—he was a friend, a gentleman, and a steady, kind presence. Meticulous in everything he did, warm, thoughtful, and always generous with his time, Sam was truly cherished by our team.
We are heartbroken by this loss. Sam will be hugely missed by all of us at The Together Plan. His memory will forever be a part of the work we do and the lives he touched through his commitment, his care, and his belief in building connection through heritage.
May his memory be a blessing.