Notes

Emmanuel Grinshpun. Restoring synagogues as well as the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress
Emmanuil grinshpun spoke about the preservation and restoration of synagogues. It was however impossible to keep the conversation focused on a single topic. There were a variety of topics that were that were discussed during the interview.
Emmanuel, good afternoon. Thanks for allowing me to chat with you. I believe we haven't spoken to each other for 5 or more years. Where are you currently based?

The last nine months are divided into Miami and Jurmala. Previously, the geography was more extensive, but the flu has affected life in both cities. This isn't all.

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

Diversification doesn't seem to be moving forward. If we examine the most important areas, it is development in real estate, IT technology and food production.

ALIMCOM knows the food industry and real estate is more easily comprehended. IT, however, is totally new to me. There are millions of areas that IT technology is used. Which area are you most intrigued by?

Our IT-holding focus is on reforming the tax systems of a number countries. We've created or are in the process of developing products to aid in the transfer of range of business processes that are that are related to taxation, as well as "real-time". This type of segment is called B2G (Business to Government).

What are the locations where the holding is active? Are there any ex- USSR nations?

There are contracts in place. But, we do have more contracts in Western Europe and Latin America. Currently, we operate in 14 countries.

What is the essence of your product?

Our solution allows online economic agents to report to tax authorities, and the fiscal operator is able to view every transaction. At the same time the tax accounting process and tax calculation are organized in parallel. So in the future, we will be able to say that small and medium-sized firms will no longer require accounting except for its analytical purpose, and the process of tax reporting and paying taxes can be done with only one "click".

This is an interesting subject. Are you considering working in Moldova? Moldova is your home country...

We are prepared to launch our product to Moldova. It is our belief that the Moldovan economy will gain from the automation. And, in all likelihood, it will be an irreversible move. Now, when there is clarity from the authorities and it's evident who takes the decision and who makes the decisions, we'll resume the negotiations about our product.

You mentioned that you were tossing between Miami (and Jurmala) all the time. The Baltics is the home of the headquarters of an IT company.

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

What is the reason for this? Baltics! Do you have roots in the Baltics?

No. There is no. Jurmala came into our lives on a whim but not professionally. We were invited to the New Wave by Igor Krutoy, and that was our first experience with Jurmala. After many competitions they began to come back each season. Miami has a very hot summer. We rented a home over a period of time and we own it.

Now I understand why you said that one synagogue was located in Jurmala. Emmanuel, honest question. We are almost of the same age. Born in the USSR. We were all Komsomol participants and pioneers back then. When did you first turn to religion?

My family relocated to the USA in the mid-80s. In the USA, I began to adhere to customs and rituals. While I don't adhere to the orthodox doctrine I am aware of a profound need to support the faith-based life of Jewish communities in my home country or Moldova. I was born in Moldova and have maintained friendships with the Jewish communities in Moldova.

Although I don't consider myself religious, I do love the past. I just watched a program about events in 1492 that changed the course of Europe's destiny. To me, 1492 was the year in which Columbus was the first to discover America. The show I watched clearly explained that the discovery America in 1492 wasn't nearly as important as the Spanish monarchs exile of Jews from Spain. When the mass exodus of Jews to the Ottoman Empire began. They accepted them. Here , I'm looking for something about the story of the Jews as a whole. Would you recommend this book?

There are many books out there, but I have personally read all of them and highly recommend Max Diamond's two volumes of Jewish history. He is from Finland, by the way.

In terms of "personal" historical .... Do you know the genealogy of your family? Unfortunately, I know only my grandmother's name and 1910. From the paternal perspective, one step further, but no more.

The paternal line of our family was in the Floresti region for a number of hundred years. There is evidence in the form of documents and monuments which show that already in 1830 they were extremely prosperous, they had an furniture factory, a number of shops, and land plots. Ungheni was also the home of my maternal ancestors. This is referring to dates from the region from the 17th-18th century. Grinshpun is a surname that comes from German roots. We are Ashkenazis pure and straight from Eastern Europe.

This is a question regarding the restoration and maintenance of synagogues. I heard that you have financed the restoration of three synagogues. One is located in Chisinau, one is in Jurmala, and the third?

The third, which is also the largest is located in Netanya. It is a huge community center where 1,000 people a day pray. It is a significant landmark in the religious life of Israel. The second synagogue in Jurmala. The Second World War saw the destruction of the synagogue that was the only one in Jurmala. Prior to deciding to build the Synagogue I had spoken to a lot of Jews in the area. The result was an extremely successful endeavor which brought together the Jews from Jurmala. In fact, we have re-created the Jurmala Jewish community that is working well. Now the synagogue has three Torahs I also donated one of them to the synagogue.

and - Chisinau?

Yes. Alexander Bilinkis is one of my co-workers. Alexander Weinstein is another. These synagogues are not the only ones that I helped with the restoration or construction. I felt it was my duty to contribute in any country I've visited for a lengthy time to support synagogues. This is why my contribution is in Monaco and in Miami an enormous community center that is aimed at Russian-speaking Jews is being built, worth about 12 million dollars. I will continue to support Chisinau - it will now be the biggest synagogue, the synagogue of Rabbi Tsirelson.

In the same way as Jurmala, did you also invite a rabbi to Chisinau?

Yes. It's not easy to identify the ideal person to run the community. Due to the interconnectedness of his interests, he should be non-conflict and diplomatic, able to naturally enter the community. I was happy that both in Chisinau (and Jurmala) the rabbis were capable of integrating with ease into the life of the community.

In 2019, you were appointed vice-president of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. What does this title mean for you and how does international Jewish organisations impact the global landscape?

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress is an important political group in post-Soviet spaces, but it goes beyond the borders of. It has offices in Eastern Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia. In 2010, I served as Vice President of Congress. But, in the year prior I was named First Vice President. I now have responsibility for the areas in which I have strong business and political relations. These "countries" include Uzbekistan Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. The trend in the world is that the attitudes toward Jews are either on the same level or have moved downwards, which is extremely regrettable. In addition, "down", refers not just to countries with developed economies such as the United States, France, Germany and France but also other countries such as Belgium as well as Germany. These countries are not safe for Jews. They are dangerous and alarming procedures for all of us.

Does the pandemic have an impact on these processes?

It's not so. In the context of the pandemic, I'd like to once again emphasize what a society or a country is capable of when they are prepared to meet any challenge and able to act effectively and in a coordinated manner.

Is this the vaccination campaign for Israel?

Exactly. Israel is the first nation worldwide to offer all-inclusive vaccination for its adult population. I think this is a good example and an example that other countries can follow.

Ewish Congress
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