Leo Levine (far left), co-creator of the ‘Making History Together’ programme and exhibition, being recognised at the JVN Awards in January 2023
A moment of reflection and a happy new year
As we bring August to a close and we start to look towards the Jewish holidays and the start of a new year, we take a moment to look back at what we have achieved in the last twelve months. As a small, agile and passionate charity we are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished – but we know we have so much more to do. We have an exciting sports event coming up in north London on September 10th so if that is in your vicinity – we really hope you will come and join the fun or register a team to compete. For those further afield there is lots happening online, and we look forward to welcoming you to our virtual events.
Wherever you are in the world, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for all your invaluable support and to invite you to donate to our high holy day appeal. You can make your donation here. If you are in the USA, you can make your gift to our USA partner 501(C)3 Jewish tapestry project here.
For those celebrating the Jewish holidays – we wish you a happy and healthy new year and to those who are not – we wish you good health and happiness.
Another year of achievements
As we bring the Jewish year to a close – we take a moment to look at what we achieved over the last twelve months. It’s been an incredible year and we bring you our highlights in a special end of year article.
Click here for the article
Preserving Jewish Heritage in the Digital Space
Digital archives have revolutionised the preservation and accessibility of historical artefacts, allowing us to delve into the rich tapestry of human history from the comfort of our own screens. The Together Plan brings you a new digital collection on Jewish Belarus.
Click here to find out more
Commemorating Jewish memory under UNESCO patronage
The European Days of Jewish Culture annual festival has received UNESCO’s patronage, acknowledging its cultural importance. Focused on ‘memory’ this year, the The Together Plan will host two significant events in Belarus.
Click here to find out more
Scott’s story
Roots trips to visit ancestral family shtels can offer a real and profound understanding of how challenging life once was for our ancestors. New York based Scott Familant shares his story.
Click here to find out more
Gilbert’s Ghetto Guides
The experience of Jews in the area that is now Belarus has its rightful place in Sir Martin Gilbert’s histories of the Holocaust. As a feature of our monthly newsletter, a short excerpt from his writings is featured focusing on one of the cities, towns, villages, and forests where Jews tried desperately to escape the Nazi German murder machine.
Click here for this month’s guide – Episode 9 – The Great Nowogrodek Escape, 80 years ago
Belarus ancestry and archives - we can help
There has never been a more exciting time for people to connect to personal history – or for that history to have a greater impact on world knowledge!
If you are looking for guidance in finding records in the Belarus archives, click here to find out how.
Upcoming events
TTP Soccerthon – the big family football tournament of 2023!
A five aside three touch football tournament and there are still spaces for teams to register.
With children’s activities and more! A great family morning out.
Free entry for spectators.
Come and cheer for the teams, see the Sherriff’s patrol car, play the giant football darts game and enter the raffle to win some really great prizes.
Sunday September 10th, Finchley, London N3
10.00am – 1.00pm
THE SOCCERTHON BOOKING LINE IS NOW OPEN!
Click here to register your team
Shtetl Part 1: A Jewish Universe
Thursday September 21st
USA 12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET
UK 8:00 pm / France 09:00 pm / Israel 10:00 pm
The talk will last approximately 90 minutes
A talk hosted by Qesher by Evgenia Kempinski – a Russian Jew born and raised in St. Petersburg. Her family was originally from the Pale of Settlement – Poland, Ukraine and Belorussia.
A shtetl is often defined as a Jewish market town located in the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and later Russian Pale of Settlement. Usually small and self-contained, shtetls were vibrant centers of Jewish life and tradition. These simple definitions do not explain the importance and influence of a shtetl on Jewish life and culture. This talk will help us find our own answers to many questions about the phenomenon of a shtetl.
Part 2 will take place on September 28th
Click here to book tickets
Qesher will donate a contribution of their ticket sales to The Together Plan’s charity projects.
The Greatest Escape – an 80th anniversary tribute (online event)
Tuesday 26th September
17.00 – 18.30 BST, / 19.00 – 20.30 Minsk and Israel / 12.00 – 13.30 EST / 09.00 – 10.30 PST
Free event
Tunnel entrance, Museum of Jewish Resistance, Novogroduk
Betty Brodsky Cohen, our guest speaker, is the daughter of Fania (Fanny) Dunetz Brodsky, one of the escapees from the Novogrudok Forced Labour Camp in Belarus.
Betty will talk about her book “The Tunnel of Hope: The Great Escape from the Novogrudok forced Labor Camp” which is due for publication this autumn. It tells the story of the most successful prisoner escape of the Holocaust era, and the 200m long tunnel, the longest hand-dug tunnel of World War II, planned and executed by Jewish prisoners under the noses of their Nazi captors.
Click here to book
Please have a memorial candle to light at the event.
Shtetl Part 2: A Virtual Tour of the Once Jewish Towns of Eastern Europe
Thursday September 28th
USA 12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET
UK 8:00 pm / France 09:00 pm / Israel 10:00 pm
The talk will last approximately 90 minutes
A talk hosted by Qesher by Evgenia Kempinski – a Russian Jew born and raised in St. Petersburg. Her family was originally from the Pale of Settlement – Poland, Ukraine and Belorussia.
This talk will take you to selected shtetls from all ends of Eastern Europe – Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus. We will walk down their old streets, look at the Jewish homes, and see how general shtetl features are reflected in these particular towns. We will discuss the relations between Jews and Christians, as well as the political and social life in these shtetls. We will see how shtetl life changed over the centuries. Combining old and new photographs and people’s memoirs we will travel through time to imagine and understand the life of our ancestors.
Click here to book tickets
Qesher will donate a contribution of their ticket sales to The Together Plan’s charity projects.
Exclusive Piano recital with Janusz Piotrowicz – ‘Master Poet of the Piano’ at the Royal Academy of Music
Sunday November 26th 15:00-17:00
Janusz at piano
Janusz Piotrowicz – Winner of the Nawrocki Prize for the most poetic interpreter, International Chopin Piano Competition, Warsaw
Click here to book tickets