they’re home

On April 24th, a powerful moment of historical justice unfolded in Brest, Belarus. After more than a decade of dedicated work, The Together Plan is proud to announce that salvaged remnants of 1250 gravestones, that once stood proudly in the Brest-Litovsk (Brisk) Jewish cemetery, have finally come home.

These stones, scarred by a long and traumatic journey through history, will now form the heart of an extraordinary campaign – to create a meaningful, permanent memorial on the land of the original cemetery. Today, on that land, not a single gravestone stands, and there is nothing visible to mark the sacred site where over 35,000 Jews were once laid to rest.

Our story with the gravestones began 11 years ago, when it first came to The Together Plan’s attention that fragments of Jewish heritage were being discovered across Brest—in roads, pathways, gardens, and rivers, unearthed during construction works. Each stone was a witness to a community lost, displaced by one of the darkest chapters of human history.

When Hitler broke his pact with Stalin and invaded the Soviet Union on June 22nd, 1941, the city of Brest, once part of Poland, found itself under Nazi occupation. Brest’s Jewish community, numbering around 26,000, was brutally targeted. It was a story that would be repeated across the whole of Belarus and other regions of the Soviet Union. The Nazis desecrated the Brest Jewish cemetery established in 1835, repurposing the gravestones to make way for military installations. Jews were forced into ghettos, murdered on the streets, and ultimately transported to Bronna Gora, a remote forest where an estimated 50,000 Jews from the region were massacred.

The cemetery’s destruction continued throughout the war and after. Gravestones were used as paving for a German prisoner of war camp, and in the 1970s, a sports centre was built over much of the cemetery land. A small, unused plot remained—a forgotten corner of history. This is the land where, with the permission of the authorities, The Together Plan and our partners in Belarus are now bringing memory and dignity back to life.

Over the past twenty years, members of the Brest community painstakingly returned discovered stones to the Jewish community. Five years ago, we at The Together Plan launched our formal campaign to return these sacred remnants to their rightful place. The path has been long, filled with twists, challenges, and complex hurdles. Yet our commitment has never faltered.

It was profoundly symbolic that, on Yom Hashoah—Holocaust Remembrance Day—these gravestones were finally moved out of storage and back to the cemetery. Under a gloriously clear sky, a heavy-duty lorry carried 30 tonnes of stones back to the cemetery site. Artur Livshyts, our Co-founder and Country Director, personally oversaw the operation, having left Minsk at 5:30 am to be there. Artur described the day as “incredibly emotional”—a moment when history, memory, and justice converged.

The 1,250 gravestones represent only a fraction of the thousands once standing, but they speak volumes. They will soon form the centrepiece of a stunning memorial, designed by renowned American artist Brad Goldberg, standing as witness stones—silent yet eloquent testaments to the lives once lived.

The Together Plan’s memorial project enshrining lost and
damaged Jewish gravestones in Brest, Belarus marks a long
overdue righting of a centuries-long injustice. The fact that the
Holocaust in the Soviet Union has not been sufficiently remembered
makes this memorial all the more important and moving. As
someone whose father was born in Brest, and who now has
discovered her family was in this city as early as the 1700’s, I
am deeply moved that The Together Plan has worked
arduously to create this beautiful memorial. My heart is full to
know that justice and dignity is bestowed on those who
suffered so much. My book, ‘Letters to My Father: Excavating a Jewish Identity in
Poland and Belarus’ chronicles my journey to discover my
family’s lives (and deaths) in Brest. I will visit this memorial as it
is the first place I can honor the family I lost.

                                                                             Kathleen A. Balgley, Ph.D.
                                                                             Kathleenbalgley.com

We are now so close to completing this historic memorial. However, we still need a final push to bring the vision fully to life—and you can help.

We have launched our Final Push Fundraiser: a Global Walkathon.
Wherever you are in the world, you can join us. Register your walk, pick your date, choose your route, and set your distance. Share your fundraising link with family and friends, and ask them to sponsor you. Every step you take brings us closer to completing this essential act of remembrance.

To register, visit The Together Plan website or, if you are in the USA, The Jewish Tapestry Project website.

If you would prefer, you can simply sponsor a walker or donate directly to the campaign through the links above.

Alternatively, you may want to donate offline and send a cheque (check for those of you reading this in the USA) or by bank transfer to either The Together Plan in the UK or to Jewish Tapestry Project 501(C)3 in the USA. Please contact us at [email protected] for details of how to make an offline donation.

Every contribution, big or small, is a powerful statement: we remember, we honour, we rebuild.

Let’s walk together, across countries and continents, to make history.
Together, we can ensure the lost voices of Brest are never forgotten.

To read the article in the Jewish News – click here