The embrace walls on a dry and sunny day
The end is in sight. After years of dedicated effort, 1,249 salvaged gravestones from the historic Brest-Litovsk Jewish cemetery will soon be returned to their rightful place, forming the centrepiece of a breath taking new memorial. Designed by renowned U.S.-based artist Brad Goldberg, the memorial is now taking shape, with two striking 85-metre-long curved walls symbolising an embrace. At the heart of the site, a central mound is now being constructed, where the gravestones will stand at varying angles, as if engaged in conversation. The smallest fragments will be carefully laid into a mosaic along the upper surfaces of the walls, inviting visitors to touch and connect with history. Visitors will also be able to walk among the gravestones or take a moment to sit and take time for some quiet introspection on one of the benches nestled within the walls’ niches.
In the coming months, the gravestones will finally come out of storage and will be delivered to the site—an eagerly anticipated milestone. The goal is to complete the memorial by the summer, with an official opening being planned for July 28th. This date holds profound significance: it marks 60 years since the decision to build the Lokomotiv Sports Stadium over part of the cemetery, as well as the anniversary of Brest’s liberation in 1944. Though the stadium remains in operation, this memorial will ensure that the Jewish history of Brest is never forgotten.
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- The embrace walls on a very wet day
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- The embrace walls on a dry and sunny day
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- Standing on the outside of the wall looking in to where the central mound is being created where the gravestones will stand
join the final fundraising push – walk with us, every step counts!
To bring this project across the finish line, we need one last fundraising effort, and we invite you to be part of it. We are launching a global sponsored Walkathon which we have called ‘Stepping Out Together’, allowing participants from anywhere in the world to join the cause. Here’s how:
- Register and select a date for your walking challenge (between April 18th and June 8th).
- Choose your own route and distance.
- Create a fundraising page, share your reason for walking, upload a photo, and invite friends and family to sponsor you.
- Simply walk—and help us restore history!
We encourage participants to send us photos from their walks so we can share them on our social media pages. You can also form a team, with each member having their own fundraising page, working together to reach a collective goal.
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- Memorial starting to take shape
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- Aerial view of the memorial under construction
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- Small gravestone remnants found at the construction site
our walkathon team
Debra Brunner, co-founder and CEO of The Together Plan (UK), is leading the charge with a power-walking marathon (26.2 miles / 42.16 km) through London on June 8th. She is joined by team members Artur Livshyts (co-founder and Country Director, The Together Plan Belarus), Sonya Shaipak (TTP Development Coordinator, Minsk), and Vasily Zaitsau (TTP Belarus Archive Services Coordinator). While Debra walks through London, the Belarus team will walk the Jewish streets of Brest, documenting their journey and concluding at the memorial site.
why this memorial matters
- It will restore the Brest-Litovsk Jewish cemetery to the map.
- It will provide the local Jewish community with a place for remembrance.
- It will offer Jews from Brest’s diaspora a space to honour their ancestors.
- It will become a vital stop on the heritage route, telling the story of Brest’s Jewish past.
- It restores history and memory.
- It plays a crucial role in Holocaust education and helps contextualize the rise of Zionism leading to the establishment of Israel.
support the cause – register to walk or make a donation
- Register to walk here (For USA participants, register via this link)
- Sponsor Debra and her team
- For USA donors, contribute via Jewish Tapestry Project
Together, we can make this long-awaited and deeply meaningful memorial a reality. Let’s take the final steps—literally and figuratively—to honour and preserve this history for generations to come.
follow Debra’s training journey
- Blog 1: Training for a Power Walking Marathon – 10 Years Later
- Blog 2: Three Down, Thirty-Five to Go!
with special thanks to our ‘stepping out together’ walkathon sponsors – please contact us and we will be happy to introduce you directly
- Houseman Properties – Family-run estate and letting agents, North London.
- Projekt Rising – Customized artificial intelligence solutions.
- Evertex Linens – Specialists in table linens, accessories, and printed textiles for events.
- Walfinch East Barnet – In-home care for independent living.