The story of the Jewish people who lived in eastern Europe is a well-kept secret.
Covering a territory that has had so many identities: the Russian Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Pale of Settlement, the Soviet Union it has had ever-changing borders and was the homeland to 5 million Jewish people at its peak. The history of the Jews people from this region is rich and fascinating but fraught with hardship, persecution and oppression.
In 2020, The Together Plan, with the support of Jewish Child’s Day Charity and the Jewish Chronicle, designed and created a unique online education programme for twelve and thirteen-year-olds. The programme. called ‘Making History Together’ brings a whole new perspective on looking at and understanding the Holocaust. This interactive programme looks at the hidden history of the Jews of Belarus and the Soviet Union and, using this history, the participants go on a journey to explore themes that are meaningful and relevant to them. Not only does it reveal hidden history, but it gives depth and clarity in understanding antisemitism, where Zionism came from and how it all relates to Israel. The whole programme enables the participants to go on a journey learning how to be changemakers and become the best versions of themselves.
Each month the participants receive beautifully designed packs in the post, complete with secret envelopes which reveal hidden history, links to films to watch and activities to do with family and friends. Currently, a travelling exhibition is in development which will accompany the programme and which the participants, year on year, will become a part of. Participants to the online programme need to speak English and as the sessions are all online we are able to accommodate applications from as far as the east coast of the USA.