Notes

Emmanuel Grinshpun. Restoring synagogues as well as the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress
Emmanuil Grinshpun and her co-hosts discussed the issue of restoration of synagogues in their interview. But it was difficult to keep the conversation focused on a single topic. There were many other topics that were discussed during the interview.
Emmanuel, good afternoon. I appreciate the opportunity to chat with you. We haven't seen each other in five years. What part of the globe are you located now?

https://diigo.com/0pld0w The past nine months were split between Miami, Jurmala and San Francisco. Previously, the geography was larger, but the pandemic has greatly affected the lifestyle. It's not like it's only for the worse.

You have always had several types of business. How about you?

Diversification isn't moving forward. If we concentrate on the most crucial areas, then development in realty, IT, and food production are three main areas.

ALIMCOM knows the food industry, while real estate is more easily comprehended. IT is totally new to me. There are many areas that IT technology could be used in. What do you excel at?

Our IT-holding team is first and foremost occupied with reforming tax systems across a variety of nations. We have developed or are in the process of developing products to aid with the transfer of range of business processes that are related to taxation, both online and "real-time". This segment is called "Business to Government".

And what happens to the regions where the holding operates? Ancestors of the USSR

They also exist, but we have more contracts with Western and Eastern Europe and in Latin America. Our current operations are in 14 countries.

Can you describe in a brief manner the core of the product?

Our software permits economic agents to submit reports to the tax authorities online while the fiscal data operator sees every transaction. Tax accounting and tax calculation can be completed in parallel. It is therefore possible to anticipate that small and medium-sized businesses will not require accounting in the future. In addition to its analytical functions accounting for taxes, and sending reports can be completed in just one "click".

An interesting area. The future is already here. Have you tried to work in Moldova? Moldova is your home country at the end of the day.

We are ready to present our product to Moldova, the Moldovan economy will only benefit from such automation, and it is a given that it is an irreversible process. If there is a consensus and clarity among the authorities on who makes the final decisions and who makes the decisions, we'll start discussions regarding our product.

You mentioned that you'd been tossing and turning between Miami and Jurmala all year. Where is the headquarters of an IT holding in the Baltics?

Эммануил Гриншпун There are five hubs in the world, as well as the headquarters in Barcelona.

The Baltics are not the only reason why? Do you have roots there as well?

No. No. Jurmala entered our lives in an unusual and unorthodox manner. Igor Krutoy invited them to the New Wave. It was their first trip to the New Wave. After a few contests, they started to go to Miami every summer, in Miami the summer weather isn't exactly the most relaxing. Эммануил Гриншпун We rented for a few years an apartment and are now in possession of it.

Now I know why my donation was used to restore one of the synagogues in Jurmala. Emmanuel, honest question. We're almost the same age. Born in the USSR. All of us were Komsomol members and pioneers back then. What was your first time you changed your religion?

In the mid-80s, my family and myself moved to the USA. It was in the USA that I was introduced to the customs. Although I am not an orthodox person, I have the inner urge to support, as best I can, the spiritual lives of the Jewish community in my home country or Moldova.

http://www.sectionaltitlecentre.co.za/members/emmanuil-grinshpunymcy504/activity/80273/ While I'm not religious myself I am a huge fan of history. Recently I was watching a show on the events of 1492 that changed the fate of Europe. 1492 was the year that Columbus discovered America. However, it was clear in the program I was watching that, from the point of view of Medieval Europe, the discovery of America in 1492 was not as resonant as the expulsion of Jews from Spain by the Spanish monarchs. When the mass exodus of Jews to the Ottoman Empire began. They welcomed them. This is where I was looking for more information on the historical background of Jews as a group. Would you suggest an article?

There are numerous books, but I myself have read and I advise you to read a two-volume Jewish historian Max Diamond. He is Finnish himself.

.... Do you or your relatives have a "personal" or historical background? Unfortunately, I'm not much further than 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. Documentary evidence and monuments show that the Floresti family was already prospering in 1830. https://canvas.instructure.com/eportfolios/1338384/Home/_ They had several stores, a furniture factory as well as land plots. Ungheni was home to my ancestral lineage. This is the area of the 17th-18th-century. Grinshpun is a surname with German roots, and we're the pure Ashkenazi of Eastern Europe.

Now, let's talk about the restoration of the synagogues. I was informed that you had funded the reconstruction of three synagogues. One is located in Chisinau and the other is in Jurmala and the third one is in?

The third and largest, is located in Netanya (Israel). It is home to more than 1,000 people who worship every day. It is a major monument for Israel's religious life. The second synagogue is located in Jurmala. The Second World War began and the Jurmala synagogue was the one that was destroyed the last time. Before I decided to build the Synagogue I had talked to many Jews living in the area. It turned out to be an extremely successful endeavor that united the Jews from Jurmala. We actually re-created the Jewish Community and it's now running smoothly. The synagogue has now three Torahs. I donated one of them to it.

and - Chisinau

Yes. Alexander Bilinkis (left) and Alexander Weinstein (right) have joined me here. These three synagogues weren't the only ones where I participated in restoration and building. In all the countries in which 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. In Monaco, a large center for Russian-speaking Jews has been built. My contribution amounts to 12 million dollars. Chisinau will remain my choice of synagogue - the one that I support Rabbi Tsirelson is now one of the biggest within the city.

Have you invited Rabbis to Chisinau in addition to Jurmala?

Yes. It is not easy to choose the right person to run the community. Due to the interconnectedness of his interests, he should be non-conflict and diplomatic and able to easily join the community. It was wonderful to see how the rabbis from both Chisinau as well as Jurmala were able integrate seamlessly into the community's activities.

Эммануил Гриншпун In 2019, you were the first vice-president of Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. What is this title imply to you, and how do international Jewish organisations impact global trends?

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress is an important political group in post-Soviet areas, but it's more than that. It has offices throughout Australia, Japan Hong Kong, New Zealand, New Zealand as well as Eastern Europe. I was Vice President in 2010 and was then given the post of First Vice Presider. This time, I'm responsible for the region in which I have had historically strong connections to both politics and business - these are the "countries", Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan. If you look at developments across the globe and the barometer of attitudes towards Jews is either unchanged or decreased in a very negative way, which is incredibly sad. Additionally, "down", refers not just to countries with developed economies such as the United States, France, Germany and France as well as other nations like Belgium and Germany. They are no longer safe for Jews. These are very serious and disturbing processes that affect everyone of us.

By the way Has the pandemic changed the processes?

This is not what I believe. Concerning the pandemic however I'd prefer to highlight how strong a society can be when they're ready for any challenge and are willing and able to cooperate.

What are you referring to?

Exactly. Israel is the first nation in the world to offer 100% vaccination for its adult population. I think this is a an example worthy of consideration and is a positive an experience that other countries must consider taking into consideration.

Congress of the Ewish
Here's my website: http://www.sectionaltitlecentre.co.za/members/emmanuil-grinshpunymcy504/activity/80273/