Debra Brunner with the travelling exhibition at the reception Photo credit: The Together Plan
reflections, connections, and cappuccinos
This month’s newsletter is filled with stories of memory, reconnection, and discovery. Debra Brunner reflects on her first visit to Belarus in five years, where the opening of the Memory Embrace memorial offered a deeply moving reminder of The Together Plan’s mission and purpose. We launch the first in a new series spotlighting little-known Jewish Belarusians whose vision and determination helped shape the modern State of Israel, and we are excited to introduce The Community Coffee Club – our upcoming members’ forum designed to bring people together in new and meaningful ways. Alongside a rare in-person interview with Minsk-based historian Vladimir Melnitsky, whose independent research has preserved so much of Belarus’s Jewish story, and heartfelt reflections from author and educator Kathleen Balgley following her powerful journey to Brest in July, we also share news of our relocation to a new warehouse and the successful loading of a lorry with humanitarian aid—tangible steps forward in our ongoing mission of support and solidarity.
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!
- 31st August – Jazz and Comedy evening (in-person event)
- 31st August – The Jews of Crimea and the Story of the Karaites (online event)
- 23rd November – Put a lid on it: Pickled with love for Chanukah (in-person event)
- Aid sorting and packing volunteer
- eBay and online sales volunteer
- Event planner
- Salesforce administrator
A journey of memory - returning to Belarus to embrace the past
After a five-year absence, Debra Brunner returned to Belarus on July 22nd, 2025. For her, this was more than a trip; it was a pilgrimage back to the heart of a mission that had sustained her through years of global isolation.
more than a lorry load - a story of love, legacy and lifelines
Here at The Together Plan, our Aid Together project is the very heartbeat of our practical support. Find out how our latest consignment of aid was made possible because of a profoundly meaningful story of three remarkable individuals.
you’re invited - become a founding member of The Together Plan's Community Coffee Club
Have you ever felt a deep curiosity about Jewish life in Belarus? Have you wondered about the stories embedded in the streets your ancestors once walked? Do you want to connect with a global community of like-minded people who share a passion for history, heritage, and making a tangible difference?
from the Pale to the promised land - how oppression fueled a dream, the story of Akiva Arieh Weiss
Akiva Arieh Weiss was born in 1868 in the Grodno Governorate, a region deeply embedded in the history of the Pale and now part of modern-day Belarus. His story takes us from the cramped, impoverished shtetls of the Pale of Settlement and takes us to the sun-drenched dunes of the Mediterranean where he played a leading role in the building of the city we now know as Tel-Aviv.
seeking roots, preserving memory - in conversation with Belarusian Historian Vladimir Melnitsky
Vladimir Melnitsky’s commitment and dedication to telling the history of the Jews of Belarus is unwavering. He is more than a historian; he is a dedicated preservationist and a key ally for the Jewish diaspora. His meticulous, grassroots work ensures that the rich and often tragic history of Jewish life in Belarus is not forgotten but is instead meticulously documented, remembered, and honoured. Debra Brunner conducted a rare in person interview with Vladimir in Minsk to understand why he is so committed to his mission and why, for him, it is so personal.
Beshert in Belarus - Kathleen Balgely’s return to Brest and to Memory Embrace
On July 28, 2025, author and educator Kathleen (Kathy) Balgely stood among the crowd gathered in Brest, Belarus, for the unveiling of Memory Embrace. The new monument, built from fragments of broken Jewish matzevot (headstones) which was once the resting place of more than 35,000 Jews before it was destroyed during the Nazi occupation. For Kathy, being there was more than symbolic. It marked the culmination of decades of searching, writing, and returning.
