1,250 Jewish gravestones in Belarus returned to their original sites after 80 years
'Historic justice' as final steps taken to honour the devastated Jewish community of Brest-Litovsk
More than 1200 remnant gravestones from the destroyed Jewish cemetery in Brest-Litovsk (Belarus) are finally being returned to their rightful place today. After decades in storage, the sacred stones will become the centre-piece of a powerful new memorial, as reported by Jewish News, now under construction on the original cemetery territory.
The site was established as a cemetery in 1835. By 1941, more than 35,000 Jews were buried there.
Between 1941 and 1944, the Jewish community was decimated by the Nazis and their collaborators. The cemetery was desecrated, the headstones were repurposed, and in the 1970s, a portion of the sacred ground was paved over for the Lokomotiv Sports Stadium.
Since its destruction, the site was never marked or acknowledged as a Jewish cemetery—even though the bodies remained. For decades, without a single standing gravestone, the burial ground faced the threat of being forgotten entirely.
The memorial, designed by USA artist Brad J. Goldberg, will honour the Jews buried on the land and the countless others who perished in the Holocaust. Each surviving gravestone, discovered by the townspeople of Brest over the years, will now stand as a silent witness to a vibrant community lost and a reminder of resilience and remembrance.
An official opening ceremony is being planned by city authorities for 28th July, marking both the liberation of Brest in 1944 and the day, 60 years ago, when Soviet authorities sanctioned the construction of a running track over the cemetery.
The project has been made possible through the collaborative efforts of The Together Plan (UK), its US-based partner Jewish Tapestry Project, and the Jewish Religious Union of Belarus.
To finish the memorial, a final fundraising campaign is underway and The Together Plan is calling on supporters around the world to take part in a global walkathon—inviting people everywhere to literally “take steps” toward completing this vital project.
Co-founder and chief executive of The Together Plan, Debra Brunner told Jewish News: ‘This is an unbelievably moving moment. The history of the suffering of the Jews in the Soviet Union is so little known and I really hope that this will be a step towards telling their story. 2.7 million of the six million Jews were killed in the Soviet Union and they must not be forgotten.”
Co-founder and country director of The Together Plan and chairman of the Jewish Religious Union of Belarus, Artur Livshyts added: “I’m so emotional. This is history. This is historical justice. We are doing this in the memory of all the people buried in the cemetery and all the Holocaust victims. Please continue to support and thank you.”
Register for the walkathon or simply donate here.
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