Notes

Emmanuel Grinshpun. Concerning the revival of synagogues, as well as the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress
Emmanuil Grinshpun's topic for the interview was restoration of synagogues. It was not possible to stick to one topic during the conversation. There were several topics that were discussed in the interview.
Emmanuel, good afternoon. It was nice to talk with you. I think we haven't seen one another for at least five years. Where are you based now?

The last nine months have been split between Miami and Jurmala. Although the geographic region was more extensive in the past however, the pandemic is having a a profound impact on the way people live. I cannot say that this is in the best way.

There are many areas of business for you. Do you have one you do today?

Diversification is not going from the world. The major areas of growth are in IT technologies, real estate, and food production.

ALIMCOM knows the food industry, while real estate is more easily understood. IT is totally new to me. There are many areas that IT technology can be applied to. What is your area of expertise?

Our IT-holding is focused on reforming the tax systems of various countries. We have designed and are currently working on tools that allow you to transfer various business processes that relate to taxation online. This segment is called "Business to Government".

What are the locations in which the holding is located? Эммануил Гриншпун Former countries of the USSR

They're still in stock. Also, we have agreements in Western Europe and Latin America. We currently have activities in 14 countries.

Please briefly describe the purpose and essence of the product.

Our software lets economic agents report online to tax authorities while the fiscal data operator sees every transaction. The software also allows tax accounting as well as tax computation to be carried out simultaneously. In the near future it's possible to say that smaller and mid-sized companies are not going to require accounting.

A fascinating area. The future is here. Are you looking to work in Moldova? Moldova is your homeland and you could as well try to work there.

We are prepared to present the product in Moldova. The Moldovan economy will benefit from this automated process. In any case it's an irreversible process. We will restart negotiations regarding our product after we get clarity from the authorities.

You said that you'd been tossing between Miami and Jurmala throughout the year. The Baltics' head office to an IT holding?

No, we have five hubs across the globe , and our main office is located in Barcelona.

Why not the Baltics? There are roots.

No. The history of my family through generations is entwined to Moldova, or If we stick to historical names, then with Bessarabia. And Jurmala was introduced to our lives in a way that was completely unplanned and in a very professional manner. When Igor Krutoy invited me to the New Wave, it was the first time that we had the opportunity to go there. They began to make it a regular summer trip after several contests. However the climate in Miami isn't the most pleasant during the summer. We rented a house for several decades and we have it now.

Now I understand the reason I was told by my donor that one of the restored synagogues is in Jurmala. Emmanuel, honest question. Эммануил Гриншпун We're nearly the same age. Эммануил Гриншпун We were born in the USSR. It was not necessary to discuss the religion of the time. We were all Komsomol members and pioneers. When was the time when religion became your personal choice?

Эммануил Гриншпун My family and I moved to the USA in the mid-80s. It is a fact that this was the time I first began to respect customs. Although I do not believe in orthodoxy, I feel a deep need to support the religion of the Jewish communities in my home country or Moldova. I was born in Moldova and have maintained friendships with them.

Well, I am definitely not religious however, I do love history a lot. Recently, I watched a program on the events of 1492 which changed Europe's fate. 1492 was for me the year Columbus discovered America. But, I saw clearly in the program the program mentioned the discovery in America in 1492 from Medieval Europe was not as impressive as the Spanish monarchs expulsion of Jews of Spain. They were accepted by the Ottoman Empire when the mass exodus started of Jews to the Ottoman Empire. This is where I was looking for details about the background of Jews as a people. Would you recommend any book?

There are numerous books. Эммануил Гриншпун However, I have gone through a few of them and would recommend Max Diamond (a two-volume Jewish historian). And, by the way Max Diamond is from Finland.

In terms of "personal" history .... Are you aware of the family tree of your family? Unfortunately, I'm not much more than my grandmother, and 1910. Paternal side: One step beyond however, not enough.

The paternal line of our family was in the Floresti region for a number of hundred years. Their wealth was evident by the presence of an furniture factory, numerous shops , and land plots. Monuments and documentation support this claim. My maternal ancestors were also in Ungheni. These dates are in the the 17th-18th century. Grinshpun is a surname which has German roots, is Ashkenazi pure Ashkenazi.

This is the subject of the restoration of synagogues. I heard that you funded the restoration of three synagogues. One is in Chisinau and the other is in Jurmala; and the third one is in?

The third, and it is the largest, is Netanya in Israel. It houses over 1000 people each day. It is an important milestone in Israel's religious history. The second Synagogue in Jurmala. The Second World War saw the destruction of the synagogue that was the only one in Jurmala. Before I made the decision to construct the Synagogue I had talked to many Jews in the area. It was a highly successful venture, that brought together the Jews in Jurmala. In fact it was the time when the Jewish community was revived and is now in good standing. Three Torahs are at the synagogue. I gave one Torah to the synagogue.

https://limmudfsu.org.il/site/team/ And - Chisinau?

Yes. Alexander Bilinkis (left) and Alexander Weinstein (right) have joined me here. These three synagogues weren't the only ones I was involved in the process of restoration and construction. In every country where I have been for a considerable period of time I believed it was my obligation to make an achievable contribution to the support of synagogues. My contribution to Monaco, Miami, is a huge community center for Russian-speaking Jews. Its estimated value is around 12 million dollars. Эммануил Гриншпун I will continue to support Chisinau as it is now going to be the largest synagogue, the synagogue of Rabbi Tsirelson.

Did you also invite an rabbi from Chisinau to join Jurmala?

Yes. Yes. Due to the interconnectedness of his interests, he should be diplomatic and non-conflict and able to easily join the community. I was happy to see that in both Chisinau (and Jurmala) the Rabbis were able to integrate with ease into the life of the community.

In the year 2019, you became the first vice-president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. What does this role have to do with you? How will international Jewish organizations impact global trends?

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EJC) is a strong political organization in post-Soviet Russian. However, it's not the only one. It has offices throughout Australia, Japan Hong Kong, New Zealand, New Zealand, and Eastern Europe. I was Vice-President of Congress back in 2010, but in the year prior to that I was offered the role of the First Vice President. Now I am responsible for the region in which I have historically strong relations with both the political and business worlds These are known as the "countries", Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan. Regarding the trends across the world, the barometer of attitudes toward Jews or Jews is in the same place or, as is sad, has dropped. Furthermore, "down" - this is referring to developed nations such like Belgium, Germany, France and the United States. These countries are not safe anymore for Jews. These are alarming and serious processes.

Does the pandemic have an impact on the processes?

It's not my opinion. Instead, in relation to the pandemic, I'd want to highlight what a society or a nation can accomplish when they are prepared to face any challenge and able to act effectively and together.

What are you referring to?

Exactly. Israel is the first nation that offers 100% vaccination to its adult population. I consider this to be a a worthy example and experience that other countries should be aware of.

ewish Congress
My Website: https://limmudfsu.org.il/site/team/