Emmanuel Grinshpun. Concerning the revival of synagogues, as well as the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress

Emmanuil Grinshpun's theme for the interview was the revival of synagogues. But sticking to only one subject for the interview did not work. There were numerous other subjects that were discussed during the interview.
Emmanuel, good afternoon. Thanks for allowing me to chat with you. We haven't seen one other in five years. Where are you currently located?

The last nine months have seen Miami and Jurmala share the distinction. While the areas were previously more diverse, the effects of the epidemic have had a massive impact on the way people live. And I'm not saying that this is just for the worse.

You've always had several business lines. Do you feel the same way now?

Diversification is not going away. If we look at the most important areas the most growth is in realty, IT technologies, and food production.

ALIMCOM is the industry of food. Real estate is easily understood. However, IT is a new concept to me. There are millions of areas that IT technology is used. Эммануил Гриншпун What IT-related field are you interested in?

Our IT-holding is focused on reforming tax systems of several countries. We have created and are currently developing products that allow you to transfer many business processes related to online taxation. This segment is called B2G (Business to Government).

But what about the region in which the holding is based? The former USSR countries

They exist. We have additional agreements in Western, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. Presently, we have contracts in 14 countries.

Can we briefly define the basic idea or product?

Our product makes it possible economic agents to file tax reports online. The fiscal data operator can view every transaction. http://logos.press.md/1374_13_1/ In addition tax accounting and tax calculation is done in parallel. So in the future, we will be able to say that small and medium-sized businesses will not even need accounting except for its analytical function, and tax reporting and paying taxes are done in one "click".

Interesting subject. The future is here. Did you ever consider being employed in Moldova? Эммануил Гриншпун Moldova is your country of origin...

We are ready to present our product to Moldova and the Moldovan economy will benefit from such automation, and regardless, this is an irreversible process. When there is a sense of clarity between the government authorities, and it is obvious who is in charge, then we will resume the discussions about our product.

You've stated that your life has been spent hopping from Jurmala to Miami. The headquarters of an IT holding is located in the Baltics?

There are five hubs in the world, as well as the headquarter is in Barcelona.

Why isn't it the Baltics? There are origins.

No. No. Jurmala popped up in our lives almost by chance, and not very professionally. It was Igor Krutoy who invited us to New Wave for the first time. They began visiting Miami every summer, winning numerous competitions. The climate isn't the most pleasant in Miami in summer months. We rented a property for a few years, consequently, we've already purchased it.

Now I know the reason I was told that one of the synagogues restored with your donations is in Jurmala. Emmanuel, honest question. We are almost the exact same age. Born in the USSR. The Soviet Union was not a place to talk about religiousity. All of us were pioneers, as well as Komsomol participants. What was the first time you turned to religious belief?

My family and I moved into America around the middle of the 80s. I was introduced to the customs and rituals there. While I'm not part of the Christian faith that is orthodox I am still adamant about the need to be a part of in the best way I can, the religious life in the Jewish communities in the countries I live in or in Moldova. This is where I came from and which I have continued to share the most close connections with.

You see, although I am far from being religion-based, the subject of history is one I really love. I was watching a documentary about 1492 and how it changed Europe's destiny. 1492 was the year that Columbus was the first to discover America. But it was clearly stated in the program I was watching that, from the point of view of Medieval Europe, the discovery of America in 1492 was not as significant as the expulsion of the Jews from Spain by the Spanish monarchs. The Jews were accepted by the Ottoman Empire when the mass exodus started of Jews to the Ottoman Empire. Эммануил Гриншпун I am interested in finding out more about the past and the culture of the Jews. Would you recommend any book?

There are many books. I've read the majority of them, and I would recommend Max Diamond, a two-volume Jewish historian. By the way Max Diamond is from Finland.

.... Do your relatives have any "personal" or historical background? Unfortunately, I have only my grandmother and 1910. On the paternal side, one step higher, but nothing more.

Our family was a resident of Floresti for many hundred years on the paternal side. The evidence from monuments and documents show that they were already wealthy by the year 1830. They had a furniture manufacturer, many shops, and land plots. Ungheni was also the residence of my maternal ancestors. I'm referring to dates from the region of the 17th-18th century. Grinshpun is a surname with German roots, which means we're the pure Ashkenazi of Eastern Europe.

Here is the issue regarding the restoration of synagogues. I was informed by you that three synagogues were being restored. One is in Chisinau; one is located in Jurmala and the third one is in?

The third largest is in Netanya, Israel. It is home to more than 1,000 people who pray each day. It is a major monument for Israel's religious life. Jurmala's second synagogue. When the Second World War, the only synagogue that was left in Jurmala was destroyed. Before I made the decision to construct an Synagogue, I had talked to many Jews from the region. It was a tremendously successful venture that brought together the Jews of Jurmala. Actually, the Jewish community was re-created and is now functioning in good standing. The synagogue has three Torahs. One of these Torahs was given to me.

& - Chisinau

Yes. Alexander Bilinkis, Alexander Weinstein and I have already joined forces in this endeavor. These synagogues were not the only ones that I've participated in restoration or construction. In every country where I've been for a long time I believed it was my duty to make an achievable contribution to support synagogues. This is why my contribution comes from Monaco as well as in Miami an enormous community center for Russian-speaking Jews is being built, worth about 12 million dollars. Chisinau is still my favorite city. The synagogue of Rabbi Tsirelson will soon be the biggest.

Did you also invite an rabbi from Chisinau to join Jurmala?

Yes. Yes. Due to the intertwining of different concerns, he should be a very peaceful and non-conflict-prone person, capable of integrating seamlessly into the lives of the community. And I am happy to see that in both Chisinau as well as in Jurmala the rabbis were able to be so seamlessly integrated into the life of the community.

In the year 2019, you were appointed vice-president for the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress. What is this title imply to you and how does international Jewish organizations impact the world?

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress is a influential political group in the post-Soviet era however, it is not limited to. There are offices as well in Australia and Japan. In 2010 I was Vice President of Congress. In the year prior I was elected the First Vice President. I now have responsibility for the regions where I have been able to establish strong political and business ties. These are Uzbekistan Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. When you look at the global trends in the world, the barometer for attitudes towards Jews has either remained unchanged or decreased, which is very regrettable. Also, the word "down" is used to refer to nations like France, Germany, France as well as the United States. These countries are no longer safe for Jews. These are worrying and very serious procedures.

What has the pandemic affected these processes, by the way?

It isn't my opinion. In the context of the pandemic, I'd like to once again emphasize what a society or a country can do when they are ready to face any challenge and capable of working effectively and in a coordinated manner.

Эммануил Гриншпун Are you talking about the vaccination campaign in Israel?

Exactly. Israel is the first country to provide 100 100% vaccination for its adult population. This is an amazing example to follow and something that all countries should be aware of.

Ewish Congress