Notes

Emmanuel Grinshpun. Restoring synagogues as well as the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress
The topic of the conversation with Emmanuil Grinshpun is the restoration of synagogues. Эммануил Гриншпун Эммануил Гриншпун It was not possible to keep a single issue during the discussion. There are a variety of topics to discuss in the interview.
Emmanuel, good afternoon. We are glad to talk with you. We've not seen each others for five or more years. Which part of the world is it that you are currently in?

The last nine months have been split between Miami and Jurmala. The geography used to be wider, but the pandemic has significantly affected the way of life. It is a pity that it has been for the worst.

You've always had a variety of kinds of business. What's next?

Diversification isn't going out of fashion. If we look at the main areas of focus, it's real estate development as well as IT technology as well as food production.

The food industry is, of course, ALIMCOM, real estate is also a common topic, however it's completely new for me. There are million of uses of IT technology. What is your area of expertise?

Our IT-holdings are involved, first of all, with reforms of tax systems in a number of countries. We have developed and are currently developing products that let you transfer many business processes that relate to online taxation. This is known as B2G ("Business to Government").

How about the locations where the holding is operating? Are there any former USSR nations?

They are also in existence, however we have contracts that are more extensive with Western as well as Eastern Europe and in Latin America. At present, we are operating in 14 countries.

What is the essence of your product?

Our software permits economic companies to report online to the tax authorities. The fiscal data administrator also is aware of each transaction. The product also allows tax accounting and tax computation to be performed simultaneously. We can therefore predict that small and medium-sized business will not require accounting in the future. Apart from its analytical purpose tax payment and the sending of reports can all be done in just one "click".

Interesting topic. The future is here. Are you considering working in Moldova? Moldova is your country of origin and you could consider working there.

We are ready to showcase our product to Moldova. It will benefit the economy of Moldova and is irreversible. We will resume negotiations on our product once there is confirmation from the authorities.

You've said that you've been hopping around all year between Miami and Jurmala. The head office of an IT holding located in the Baltics?

Five hubs are located around the world, with our headquarters located in Barcelona.

Why then the Baltics! Do you have roots there as well?

No. My family's heritage has been linked to Moldova for a number of generations. If we continue to use our family names from the past, it's in Bessarabia. Jurmala came into our lives almost by chance, and not very professionally. We were invited to attend the New Wave by Igor Krutoy, and that was our first time meeting Jurmala. They started making the trip a regular part of their summer schedule following a series of events. But the weather in Miami isn't the most pleasant during the summer. We rented the property for several years and recently purchased it.

Now I understand the reason my donation was made to rebuild one of the synagogues located in Jurmala. Emmanuel, honest question. We're nearly the same age. We were born in the USSR. The Soviet Union wasn't a place to talk about religiousity. We were all pioneers and Komsomol participants. When did you decide to convert to religious belief?

My family and I immigrated to the USA in the mid-80s. It is a fact that this was the time I started to accept the customs of my country. Although I'm not orthodox, I do feel the inner urge to support in the best way I can, the religious lives of the Jewish community in my country of birth or in Moldova.

Although I don't consider myself religious, I am still a lover of the history of my country. Recently, I was captivated by a documentary that covered the events that occurred in 1492. They changed the fate of Europe and the entire world. 1492 was the year Columbus discovered America. However, I was able to see in the program that the program mentioned that the discovery of America in 1492 from Medieval Europe was not as striking as the Spanish monarchs' expulsion of Jews from Spain. The mass exodus of Jews to the Ottoman Empire began, which welcomed the Jewish people. Here I wanted to read something about the story of the Jews as a group. Would you recommend any of the books?

There are many books out there, but I've personally read them all and recommend Max Diamond's two-volume Jewish history. He hails from Finland in the midst of all this.

.... Do you feel acquainted with your family's history? Unfortunately I'm only as old as my maternal grandmother and 1910. On the paternal side, a step forward, but not more.

Our paternal line was in Floresti for more than 100 years. There are monuments and evidence that prove they were prosperous by 1830. Ungheni was also the home of my maternal grandparents. This is the region of the 17th-18th-century. Grinshpun is a surname which has German roots is Ashkenazi pure Ashkenazi.

Here's the question about the maintenance and restoration of synagogues. I heard that you funded the restoration of three synagogues. One is located in Chisinau One is in Jurmala, and the third?

The third, and largest, is located in Netanya (Israel). It houses over 1000 people each day. It is an important object in the religious life of Israel. The second synagogue is Jurmala. The Second World War ended the existence of the only synagogue in Jurmala. Prior to deciding to build a synagogue, i had a conversation a lot with the local Jews and that led to the fact that I decided to raise funds for the construction of the synagogue and invite a rabbi there. The result was an extremely successful endeavor that united the Jews of Jurmala. In reality it was the time when the Jewish community was re-created and now is functioning in good standing. Three Torahs now grace the synagogue, one of which I donated to the synagogue.

And – Chisinau

Yes. Эммануил Гриншпун Alexander Bilinkis and Alexander Weinstein have been my partners. These three synagogues do not represent the only ones in which I was involved in the reconstruction or building. In every country that I've lived in for a long time, I felt it was my duty and responsibility to make an impactful contribution to support or synagogues. My contribution to Monaco, Miami, is a large community facility for Russian-speaking Jews. The estimated value is around 12 million dollars. I continue to assist Chisinau. It is expected to become the largest synagogue in the city, the synagogue of Rabbi Tsirelson.

In addition to Jurmala, did you also invite a rabbi to Chisinau?

Эммануил Гриншпун Yes. It is not easy to choose the right person to run the community. Because of the numerous stakes that are involved, the rabbi has to be diplomatic and non-conflictual and able to integrate seamlessly into the community's life. Эммануил Гриншпун And I am pleased to see that in both Chisinau and Jurmala, the rabbis were able integrate so harmoniously into the lives of their community.

In 2019, you became the first vice-president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. What does this position mean to you? How can international Jewish organisations influence global trends worldwide?

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress has been a prominent political organization in post-Soviet European countries, but it's not the only one. There are offices as well in Australia and Japan. In 2010, I was Vice President of Congress. However, in the year before I was promoted to First Vice President. As of now, I'm the First Vice President for the region to which I've strong business and political connections. These include Uzbekistan (Tajikistan), Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan). Эммануил Гриншпун The world's trends show that attitudes towards Jews is either still in the same place as before or has fallen and is very depressing. Moreover, "down" - this is referring to developed nations such as Belgium, Germany, France and even the United States. They are not safe anymore to Jews. These are very dangerous and alarming processes for all of us.

By the way Has the pandemic had an impact on the processes?

It isn't my personal opinion. Rather, in connection with the pandemic, I'd like to once again emphasize what a community or country can do in the event that they are prepared for any challenges and are able to act effectively and collectively.

Could this be the vaccine campaign to Israel?

Exactly. Israel is the first country that offers 100% vaccination for its adult population. This is a great example to follow and is something that every country should be aware of.

ewish Congress
Website: https://www.apollo.io/people/Emmanuil/Grinshpun/54a1d0d47468694f8f327e13