Notes

Emmanuel Grinshpun. The restoration of synagogues as well as the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress
Emmanuil grinshpun was interviewed on the synagogues that were restored. But it was not possible to stay focused on just one subject. There are a variety of topics to discuss in the interview.
Emmanuel, good afternoon. I'm glad to an exchange with you. I believe we haven't spoken to one another for five years or more. What is your current location?

The last nine months were split between Miami, Jurmala and San Francisco. Although the region was more diverse, the effects of the epidemic have had a massive impact on our lifestyles. And, by the way I'm not able to claim that it is only for the worst.

You have always had many business lines. What's the next step?

Diversification hasn’t changed. If we concentrate on the most crucial areas, the development of real estate, IT and food production are the three most important areas.

The food industry is of course, ALIMCOM, real estate is also a common topic, however it's completely new for me. There are millions of potential areas for applying IT technology. What do you excel at?

Our IT-holding team is principally concerned with changing tax systems in many countries. We have developed and are currently developing products that let you transfer various operations that are related to online taxation. This segment is called B2G (Business to Government).

What about the areas in which the holding is operating? The USSR's former countries

They are also available, but we have more agreements in Western and Eastern Europe as well as Latin America. Currently, we operate across 14 countries.

Could we define the product's essence?

Our product permits economic companies to make online reports to tax authorities. The fiscal data administrator also monitors every transaction. Tax calculation and tax accounting are simultaneously managed in parallel. We can therefore anticipate that small and medium-sized businesses will not require accounting in the near future. Apart from its analytical functions tax payment and the sending of reports are all done with just one "click".

Interesting area. The future is already here. Have you ever thought about being employed in Moldova? Moldova is your country of origin and you could consider working there.

We are available to present our product in Moldova. This would be an enormous benefit to the Moldovan economy and in all likelihood, an irreversible change. We will restart negotiations regarding our product when we receive clarity from the authorities.

You've said that your entire year has been spent hopping between Jurmala to Miami. Where is the headquarters of an IT holding in Baltics?

We have five hubs across the globe and a headquarters in Barcelona.

And why then the Baltics? Are you a native of the Baltics?

Эммануил Гриншпун No. No. Jurmala was a name that came into our lives almost by chance but not professionally. We were invited to the New Wave by Igor Krutoy, and that was our first encounter with Jurmala. The New Wave began to travel to Miami each summer, winning numerous competitions. The weather isn't always the most pleasant in Miami in summer months. We rented the house for a number of years, and then purchased it.

Now I understand why my donation was used to restore one of the synagogues located in Jurmala. Emmanuel, honest question. We are almost the same age. We were born in the USSR. There was no need to talk about religion back then. We were all pioneers, and Komsomol members. What was the first time you came in contact with religion?

My family relocated to the USA in the mid-80s. In the USA, I began to observe customs and rituals. While I'm not a part of the traditional religion of Christianity I am still adamant about the need to participate in the best way I can, the religious life in the Jewish community in the countries I live in or in Moldova. This is the place I grew up and with which I've maintained with the closest of connections with.

Although I don't consider myself religious, I still love the history of my country. Recently, I was captivated by a program that covered the events of 1492. They changed the destiny of Europe and the world. 1492 was the year that Columbus discovered America. It was also stated in the show I was watching from the viewpoint of Medieval Europe, the discovery of America in 1492 did not seem as significant as the expulsion of the Jews from Spain by the Spanish monarchs. The Ottoman Empire accepted the Jews as they fled the country. I wanted to learn more about the history, culture and achievements of Jews. Would you recommend an article?

There are a lot of books available, but I have read and would recommend you to pick up a book in two volumes Jewish historian Max Diamond. He himself is Finnish.

Speaking of "personal" historical .... Do you know the genealogy of your family? Unfortunately, I am no more than my grandmother, and 1910. Paternal side: One step further however, not enough.

Our family was an Floresti family for several hundred of years, as per the paternal lineage. Monuments and documents show that the Floresti family was already wealthy in 1830. They had several shops, a furniture manufacturing factory and land plots. My maternal ancestors were also in Ungheni. I am referring to dates from the 17th-18th century. Grinshpun is an surname that has German roots. This makes us Ashkenazis straight from Eastern Europe.

Now here is the question of the restoration of synagogues. I was told that you financed the reconstruction of three synagogues. One is situated in Chisinau. Jurmala has the third. And which one?

The third one, and the largest, is Netanya in Israel. It is a huge community center, where 1000 worshippers gather each day. It is a significant item in the spiritual life of Israel. Jurmala's second synagogue. The Second World War saw the destruction of the sole synagogue in Jurmala. Before I decided to build a Synagogue, however, I had spoken to a lot of Jews in the area. The result was an extremely successful endeavor that united the Jews of Jurmala. We even re-established the Jewish Community, and it's functioning successfully. Three Torahs are in the synagogue. I donated one Torah to the synagogue.

And - Chisinau?

Yes. Alexander Bilinkis, Alexander Weinstein and I have already joined forces in this endeavor. These three synagogues are not the only ones in which I have been involved in restoration or construction. In all the countries where I've been for a long time, I considered it my obligation to make an appropriate contribution to the support of synagogues. My contribution to Monaco is to the construction of a huge community center in Miami for Russian-speaking Jews that is estimated to be 12 million dollars. I will continue to help Chisinau as well. In the near future, it will be the largest synagogue in the city. It is the synagogue of Rabbi Tsirelson.

Did Jurmala or Chisinau get the blessing of a Rabbi?

Yes. It is very difficult to find the right rabbi to serve the needs of the community. Due to the interconnectedness of his interests, he needs to be non-conflict-free and diplomatic and able to easily join the community. I was happy to see that in both Chisinau (and Jurmala) the Rabbis could integrate with ease into the life of the community.

In 2019, you were appointed vice-president at the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. What does this position mean to you? And how do international Jewish organizations influence the global trend across the globe?

Эммануил Гриншпун The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EJC) is a strong political organization in Russia post-Soviet. It's also not the only one. It has offices in Eastern Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia. I was Vice-President of Congress back in 2010, but the year before last I was offered the role of First Vice President. In the present, I am accountable for the region in which I have strong economic and political relations. These countries are Uzbekistan Tajikistan Kyrgyzstan. With regard to trends around the world, the barometer for attitudes toward Jews remains at the current level or has decreased and is extremely sad. Эммануил Гриншпун The word "down" refers to countries such as France, Germany, France and the United States. These countries are no longer safe for Jews. These are alarming and serious procedures for all of us.

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

It's not so. Эммануил Гриншпун Rather, in connection with the pandemic, I would like to once again emphasize what a community or country is capable of in the event that they are prepared to face any challenge and capable of working effectively and collectively.

You're referring the vaccination campaign that is currently underway in Israel.

Exactly. Эммануил Гриншпун Israel is the first country in the world that provides 100% vaccination of adults. I believe this is an excellent example and instance that other countries can learn from.

Congress to support the Ewish
Website: http://logos.press.md/1374_13_1/