Students engage with archive documents for children who were prisoners of the Brest Ghetto in Soviet Belarus. Photo credit: The Together Plan
This month, The Together Plan proudly concluded our Making History Together education programme at Yavneh College, where we had the privilege of working with 18 incredible Year 8 students (aged 13) over three days.
This is no ordinary history course — Making History Together takes students on a captivating journey into the little-known history of the Holocaust in the Soviet Union, with a special focus on Belarus. Through a rich mix of interactive workshops, hands-on activities, films, role play, and lively discussions, the students stepped into the past, exploring how shifting borders affected identity, how antisemitism took root, how power can be used or abused, and how personal stories shape the collective memory.
What makes this programme so special is not just the exploration of hidden history, but its real-world relevance. It’s about helping young people understand why this history matters today and equipping them to become upstanders — individuals who use their voices and actions to stand up for others and make a difference
By the end of the programme, the students didn’t just walk away with new knowledge; they walked away empowered. Our final session — a reflective discussion group — was filled with thoughtful, motivated responses. The students were eager to continue the journey, to do more, to use what they had learned. That was truly inspiring for us to witness.
At The Together Plan, we believe that history isn’t something we learn just for the sake of knowing — it’s something we must use to shape a better, more just future. That is exactly what Making History Together is designed to do.
We are thrilled with the resoundingly positive feedback from both the students and the school, and we are excited to continue developing this programme so we can reach more young people and scale its impact even further. Together, we’re not just making history — we’re making a difference.
Thank you to Yavneh College, the students, the Leo and Betty Gruss Charitable Trust, and all who made this journey possible. Stay tuned as we continue to grow this important work!
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- ‘Making History Together’ students in a programme workshop. Photo credit: The Together Plan
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- Creating a tree of actions – how we can take action to remember the children killed in the war in the Brest Ghetto in Soviet Belarus. Photo credit: The Together Plan
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- ‘Making History Together’ game used in the final session. Photo credit: The Together Plan
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- Students engage with archive documents for children who were prisoners of the Brest Ghetto in Soviet Belarus. Photo credit: The Together Plan
Click here to see The Together Plan’s Russian language ‘Making History Together ‘ travelling exhibition on display in Minsk.
For more information about the Making History Together programme – click here
For more information on the Making History Together travelling exhibitions – click here