Notes

Emmanuel Grinshpun. Concerning the restoration of synagogues and the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress
Emmanuil grinshpun spoke about the restoration and maintenance of synagogues. It was however impossible to keep the conversation focused on one topic. There are many subjects to discuss in the interview in the end.
Emmanuel, good afternoon. I'm glad to an exchange with you. I don't think we've seen each other in more than five years. Which part of the world is your current location?

The past nine months have been divided between Miami and Jurmala. The geographical area was larger in the past, however the pandemic impacted the lifestyle. This isn't all.

There have been many lines of business for you. What's the next step?

Diversification is not going from the world. If we look at the major areas of development, this includes the growth of the areas of real estate, IT technology and food production.

ALIMCOM is a prominent player in the real estate and food industries. But, the IT field is a complete mystery to me. There are many areas that IT technology could be applied to. What are you specialising in?

Our IT-holdings are involved, first of all, with tax system reforms in a number of countries. We have created and are working on a variety of tools that allow you to transfer many tax-related processes online as well as in "real time". This type of segment is called B2G (Business to Government).

And what about the regions where the holding operates? Are there any ex- USSR countries?

They are in existence. We have more contracts in Western, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Эммануил Гриншпун We currently operate in 14 countries.

Could you briefly describe the basic idea behind this product?

Our software permits economic companies to submit online tax reports to tax authorities. The fiscal data administrator also sees each transaction. At the same time the tax accounting process and tax calculation is organized in parallel. In the near future, we will be able to say that small and medium-sized companies will not require accounting, except for its analytical purpose, and the process of the process of paying taxes and sending out reports can be done with one "click".

An interesting subject The future is here. Do you want to work in Moldova, or have you considered it? Moldova is the country you were born in, right?

We are prepared to launch our product to Moldova, the Moldovan economy will gain from the automation process, and regardless, this is an irreversible process. If there is consensus and clarity among the authorities on who takes the decisions, we'll resume the negotiations over our product.

You mentioned that you were tossing between Miami (and Jurmala) all year. https://limmudfsu.org.il/site/team/ The headquarters of an IT holding in the Baltics?

There are five hubs all over the world and our headquarters is in Barcelona.

Why then the Baltics! Are you from there? as well?

No. No. And Jurmala came into our lives in a way that was completely unplanned and very formally. The moment Igor Krutoy invited me to the New Wave, it was the first time that we could get there. The group began making it a regular summer trip after a few competitions. However, the climate in Miami is not the best during the summer. We rented the home for several years and have now bought it.

Now I know why I was told that one of the synagogues that was restored thanks to your contributions is located in Jurmala. Emmanuel, honest question. We're pretty similar in age. We were born in the USSR. There was no need to discuss religion at the time. All of us were Komsomol members at the time , and were pioneers. When did you first turn to religious belief?

In the mid-80s my family and me moved to the USA, and we can claim that it was at this time that I began to observe the customs and practices of my culture. Although I'm not an orthodox person, I have the inner urge to support in the best way possible, the religious lives of the Jewish community in my home country or in Moldova.

Although I'm not religious, I still love history. https://infomarket.md/ru/banks/emmanuil_grinshpun_poprosil_u_natsbanka_moldovyi_razresheniya_na_pokupku_suschestvennoy_doli_aktsiy_EuroCreditBank-a_prevyishayuschey_50 I just watched a program on 1492 events that changed the course of Europe's destiny. 1492 is the year I love most because it was the year that Columbus was the first to discover America. But it was clearly stated in the program I was watching from the perspective of Medieval Europe, the discovery of America in 1492 was not so significant as the removal of Jews from Spain by the Spanish monarchs. The Ottoman Empire accepted the Jews at the time of the exodus. Here, I was searching for details about the historical background of Jews as a people. Would you recommend a good book for me to go through?

There are a lot of books, but I myself have read and recommend you to read a two-volume Jewish historian Max Diamond. He is also from Finland.

.... Do we know the family tree of our family? Unfortunately, I am no more than my grandmother, and 1910. On the paternal side, I am one step higher, but nothing more.

https://vk.com/video98847217_151469326 Our family has been in Floresti for over a century from the paternal side. Documentary evidence and monuments show that the family of Floresti was wealthy in the year 1830. They owned numerous stores, a furniture factory as well as land plots. My maternal ancestors also lived in Ungheni. I'm talking about dates from the 17th-18th century. Grinshpun is a surname derived from German roots. We are straight and pure Ashkenazis from Eastern Europe.

Эммануил Гриншпун Let's talk about the revival of synagogues. I have been told that you funded the reconstruction of three synagogues. One of them is located located in Chisinau. Эммануил Гриншпун Jurmala is the other one.

It is located in Netanya in Israel. It is home to over 1,000 people who worship every day. This is an important building for the religious life in Israel. Second synagogue located in Jurmala. It was the time when the Second World War began and the Jurmala synagogue was one of the last to be destroyed. Before I took the decision to construct an orthodox synagogue, I had talked with a lot of residents Jews. I then decided to fund its construction and invite Rabbis to visit it. It was a hugely successful venture that brought together the Jews of Jurmala. We actually rebuilt the Jewish community, and it's still functioning well. Three Torahs are now in the synagogue. I donated one Torah to the synagogue.

and - Chisinau?

Yes. Alexander Bilinkis (left) and Alexander Weinstein (right) have joined me here. But these three synagogues are not the only ones that I have been involved in restoration or construction. I believed that it was my obligation to make every contribution possible to help synagogues in countries where I've lived for a very long period of time. My contribution to Monaco is to the construction of a community center in Miami for Russian-speaking Jews, which is estimated to be 12 million dollars. I am continuing to support Chisinau. It is expected to become the biggest synagogue within the city, and the synagogue of Rabbi Tsirelson.

Did Jurmala or Chisinau receive a Rabbi?

Yes. It can be very difficult to find the right Rabbi for the community. Because of the interconnected and complex issues, he has to be non-conflictual, diplomatic and diplomatic. He should be able to organically join the community. I was pleased that both in Chisinau (and Jurmala) the Rabbis were able to integrate seamlessly into the community.

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

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EJC) is a powerful political organisation in post-Soviet Russian. It's also not the only one. It has branches that are located in Australia, Japan and Hong Kong. In 2010, I was Vice-President of Congress. The year before I was elected the First Vice President. The post is now my responsibility for the region in which I have strong economic and political ties. These countries are Uzbekistan Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan. https://eajc.org/о-конгрессе/лидеры/эммануил-гриншпун/ If you look at trends worldwide, the barometer on attitudes towards Jews is either the same or has declined and is extremely regrettable. Additionally, the term "down" refers to countries such as France, Germany, France, and the United States. They are not safe anymore for Jews. These are extremely important, dangerous process for us all.

Do you think the pandemic is affecting these processes in some way?

This is not what I consider. Actually, in the situation of the pandemic, I'd like to emphasize what a society and country can achieve when they're ready for any challenges, and are able work effectively together.

Do you mean the vaccination campaign that is taking place in Israel?

Exactly. Israel is the first country to provide 100 percent vaccination to its entire adult population. I believe this is an excellent example and a lesson which other countries can take note of.

Congress of the Ewish
Here's my website: https://limmudfsu.org.il/site/team/