Notes

Emmanuel Grinshpun. Restoring synagogues and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress
The topic of the interview with Emmanuil Ginshpun was the restoration of synagogues. The conversation was narrowly focused. There were numerous other subjects mentioned during the interview.
Emmanuel, good afternoon. It was great to have you meet. I believe we haven’t seen eachother in at least five years. Are you now in?

The past nine months were split between Miami (Miami) and Jurmala (Jurmala). The geography was much larger before, however the pandemic has impacted the living style. This isn't saying it is only to the negative.

You've always had a variety of different business lines. What about now?

Diversification hasn't changed. If we talk about the major areas of development, it is the development of the areas of real estate, IT technology as well as food production.

ALIMCOM is an expert in the field of food, while real estate is easier understood. IT however, is completely new to me. Эммануил Гриншпун There are many fields that IT technology could be applied to. What are you the best at?

Our IT-holding focus is on reforming the tax systems of various countries. We have developed and are currently developing tools that allow you to transfer many operations that are related to taxation online. This is known as the B2G (Business to Government) acronym.

What are the locations in which the company operates? The USSR's former countries

They are in existence. We have additional contracts across Western, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. We have currently operations in 14 countries.

Do we have a brief description of the product's essence?

Our product allows economic agents to file tax returns online. The fiscal data manager can view every transaction. At the same time the tax accounting process and tax calculation is done in parallel. It is therefore possible to predict that small and medium-sized business will not require accounting in the future. Apart from its analytical function, paying taxes and sending reports are all done in one "click".

An interesting topic. The future is here. You have ever considered working in Moldova. Moldova is your homeland So you may be tempted to try working there.

We are willing to present our product in Moldova. This will be beneficial to the economic development of Moldova and it is irreversible. We will resume negotiations on our product once there is assurance from authorities.

You've said you've been tossing around all year between Miami and Jurmala. Is this the head office of an IT company based in the Baltics

No, we have five hubs around the world and headquarters in Barcelona.

And why then the Baltics? Do you have roots there too?

No. No. Jurmala was introduced to our lives in an unusual and unorthodox manner. We were invited to the New Wave by Igor Krutoy, and that was our first time meeting Jurmala. The group began making it a regular summer trip after several contests. However, the weather in Miami is not very pleasant in the summer. We rented for a few years an apartment and we have it today.

Now I know why I was told that one of the synagogues restored by your donation is located in Jurmala. Emmanuel, honest question. We're all of the same age. We were born in the USSR. It was not necessary to talk about religious beliefs back then. We were all pioneers and Komsomol members. When was the first time you began to turn to religion?

My family relocated to the USA in the mid-80s. In the USA, I began to observe rituals and customs. Even though I am not a member of the Orthodox faith, I feel an inner desire to support the religion, in whatever way that is the case for the Jewish community I am a part of, or in Moldova, my homeland and with whom I have close connections.

You see, although I'm not religious, history is something I truly love. I just watched a program about events in 1492 which changed the fate of Europe. 1492 was the year Columbus discovered America. Эммануил Гриншпун It was also stated in the program I was watching that, from the viewpoint of Medieval Europe, the discovery of America in 1492 did not seem as resonant as the expulsion of the Jews from Spain by the Spanish monarchs. When the exodus of Jews began to the Ottoman Empire, it accepted the Jews. Эммануил Гриншпун I was looking for more information on the background of Jews. Would you recommend a book?

There are a lot of books. However, I've completed all of them, and I'd suggest Max Diamond, the two-volume Jewish historian. In addition, he is from Finland.

.... Do you or your relatives have any "personal" or historical background? Эммануил Гриншпун Unfortunately, I am no more than my grandmother, and 1910. I'm only one step ahead on the paternal slant however, not much more.

In the paternal lineage, our family lived in the Floresti region for over a hundred years. There are monuments and evidence which show that they were rich up to 1830. My maternal ancestors also lived in Ungheni. These dates are from the the 17th and 18th centuries. Grinshpun is a surname having German roots, which means we're the pure Ashkenazi of Eastern Europe.

Let's now discuss the restoration of synagogues. I was told that you had funded the reconstruction of three synagogues. One is located in Chisinau and another in Jurmala. The third one is located in Jurmala.

The third, and it is the largest, is in Netanya, in Israel. It is home to over 1,000 people who worship each day. It is an important landmark in the Israeli religious history. The second Synagogue in Jurmala. When the Second World War, the only synagogue that was left in Jurmala was demolished. Prior to building a synagogue I met with Jurmala's local Jews. https://stmegi.com/posts/61743/evreyskie-lidery-obsudili-v-moldove-voprosy-borby-s-antisemitizmom/ Based on this I decided to finance the construction and also invite a rabbi on the site. It was a tremendously success project that brought together the Jews from Jurmala. We even re-established the Jewish Community and it's functioning successfully. Three Torahs now grace the synagogue, including one which I gave to the synagogue.

and - Chisinau

Yes. Alexander Bilinkis and Alexander Weinstein were my co-workers. But these synagogues aren't the only ones I've been involved with in their restoration or construction. In every country I have lived in for a time, I felt it was my duty and obligation to contribute an impactful contribution to support or synagogues. My contribution is currently being made in Monaco, where a large community centre for Russian-speaking Jews is currently being constructed. It is estimated that it will cost about 12 million dollars. I will continue to help Chisinau as well. In the near future, it is the biggest synagogue in the city. It is the synagogue of Rabbi Tsirelson.

In the same way as Jurmala, have you invited a rabbi to Chisinau?

Yes. It can be a challenge to locate the perfect Rabbi for your congregation. Because of the multiple concerns that are involved, the rabbi has to be non-conflictual and diplomatic and able to integrate seamlessly into the community's life. It is a wonderful fact that both the Jurmala and Chisinau rabbis could be so seamlessly integrated into the community.

In the year 2019 you were named vice-president at the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. What is this title imply to you, and how do international Jewish organizations impact the global landscape?

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, a powerful organization in the post-Soviet area It is more than an influential political organization. It has offices in Eastern Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia. In 2010, I was Vice President of Congress. But, in the year prior to that, I was promoted to First Vice President. This time, I'm responsible for the region where I have historically strong business and political ties These are known as the "countries", Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan. As for trends in the world, the barometer of attitudes towards Jews either remains in the same place, or, which is very regrettable, has swung down. "Down" can also be often used to mean nations like as the United States, France or Germany. They are not safe anymore for Jews. They are extremely dangerous and disturbing processes that affect everyone of us.

Have these processes been affected by the virus?

It's not so. Rather, in connection with the pandemic, I would want to highlight what a society or a country can do when they are ready to face any challenge and able to act effectively and in a coordinated manner.

Are you talking about the vaccination campaign in Israel?

Exactly. Israel is the only nation that offers the complete vaccination of its population of adults. I consider this to be an excellent example and a lesson that other countries should take note of.

Ewish Congress
Website: https://kishinev.org/ru/колель-тора-2018/