Eduard Shyfrin is a man of many parts. An internationally known businessman, Shyfrin, 64, holds a PhD in metallurgy, has developed a theory called Kabbalah of Information, and is a prolific writer, talented musician, and dedicated supporter of Ukraine. This writer recently spoke with him via Zoom from his home in London, where he discussed his activities in these diverse areas.
What are you researching and writing now in the area of Kabbalah?
I published my first book on Kabbalah and science in 2018, titled From Infinity to Man: The Fundamental Ideas of Kabbalah Within the Framework of Information Theory and Quantum Physics, which was quite successful.
Since the book was published, I have continued my research and have written over 50 articles on the Kabbalah of Information, which were published on The Jerusalem Post website.
I am currently working on my next book, The Relativity of Death, in which I will expand on the ideas from my first book and introduce new concepts. The book will comprise five or six parts and will initially be published as separate sections.
The book’s first chapter will discuss the theory of Kabbalah of Information and the theory of evil and miracles. The second chapter will cover the theory of life and death, while the third section of the book will focus on the mysteries of the creation of man.
The fourth segment of the book will discuss the physics of space, time, black holes, and quantum physics within the framework of the Kabbalah of Information, while the fifth part will cover the mysteries of the Torah, such as the red heifer, karet [premature death, a form of punishment for sin], and other issues. I expect that the first section of the book will be available in March 2025.
What stance have you taken against Russian aggression in Ukraine?
I was born in Ukraine, and I studied at a university in Russia. The aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is a tragedy and a crime committed by President Vladimir Putin’s regime. It is obvious that Russia’s goal was to occupy the entire Ukraine and restore its influence over Eastern Europe.
That is part of the ‘big plan’ of the attack of dictatorships against democracies: Russia against Ukraine, Iran against Israel, China against Taiwan, and North Korea against South Korea. This goal fell through due to the heroism and resilience of Ukrainians and Western support.
My position is firm. I utterly condemn the bloody aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In April 2022, I wrote a letter to the Russian embassy in London in which I protested the aggression and renounced my Russian citizenship. In September 2022, I disposed of my shares in a medium-sized real estate company in Russia, and since then I have had no business interests in the Russian Federation.
I made donations to Ukrainian hospitals and other institutions, helped evacuate Jewish elderly and children, and published several articles against the aggression against Ukraine. My contribution is small, but the ‘big wall is made of small bricks.’
My position bears significant risks. Russia’s ‘secret services’ is the dominant force in Russia. They penetrated all areas of life, including the Jewish community. A special Jewish department closely monitored the Jewish community, filmed our festivals, expelled our rabbis, and intimidated us.
Their approach to business is intimidation and extortion. I experienced that myself. In November 2022, criminals from Montenegro tried to break into my property in France and attacked me and my wife. When that didn’t work, they tried to approach my children in London. I had to hire security for myself and my family.
The criminals were sent by a certain Russian ‘national security service’ based in Montenegro. I cannot mention the name, since there is an ongoing police investigation in France and other jurisdictions.
Finally, I learned from the media that I was on the list of people wanted by the Russian Federation. The reason is unknown to me, but it’s typical for today’s Russia. Recently, my son received a message from the same Russian national with extortion, threats, and blackmail.
But all that won’t change my position. I blame Putin’s regime for this, and I don’t want my children and grandchildren to live under a dictatorship. What is happening in my homeland is a tragedy. I’ll continue making my small contributions to the cause of fighting against dictatorships and supporting Ukraine.
What is your analysis of the current situation in the Middle East?
The atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7 are a clear demonstration of how Iran and its proxies see the two-state solution as a one-state annihilation. Now the tentacles of the hydra are weakened, but they will regrow unless the hydra – the regime of the Iranian mullahs – is destroyed.
I see the attack of Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah on Israel as a part the general plan of attack of the dictatorships on the democratic states.The fact is that the Russian Federation is an ally of Iran. Russian authorities have never condemned the actions of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. For me, as a Jew, the position of the Russian Federation is unacceptable and abhorrent.
Nothing can be accomplished in the Middle East in terms of peaceful relations and economic development as long as the mullahs in Iran control their country and influence the region. They sow violence and bloodshed not only against Israel but also between the Shi’ites and the Sunnis in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq. Attacks have been carried out against Saudi Arabian oil installations. All of this has been inspired and financed by Iran.
Iran stands in the way of peace and development in the Middle East, and Israel is the only real force that can, with the help of the United States, contain Iran and prevent its dominance of the Middle East. When they [Iranians] say they want to divide Israel into two states, with one for the Palestinians, that is just a fig leaf to conceal their real intention of annihilating Israel.
The Middle East has vast economic potential. The abundance of energy and Israeli technology could turn it into a prosperous economic region were it not for Iran’s malicious activities. I believe that the Middle East will soon return to prosperity and that the Iranian people will cast off their dictatorship.
The mullahs oppress their people, spending vast amounts of money financing their proxies instead of developing their own economy. Over the past year, Israel has been criticized – even demonized – for its response to the savage Hamas and Hezbollah attacks. The goal of the terrorists who attack Israel is the annihilation of the Jewish state.
Israel justifiably strikes back, yet the terrorists hide among civilians. What should Israel do? People whose lives are not threatened say, ‘We don’t know what to do or how to do it, but civilians must be kept safe.’ But those who are honest say, ‘Kill the terrorists, and do your best to minimize civilian casualties.’ This is what Israel has been doing.
What are your views about antisemitism in Europe?
European Jews are protected only by the governments, and we cannot take arms to defend ourselves. Antisemitism is proliferating, which has put the entire Jewish community in danger. Most of Europe’s 1.1 million Jews live in England and France; the remainder live in smaller communities.
Antisemitism is nothing new. It started 3,500 years ago with Pharaoh in Egypt, who wanted to destroy the Jews. We have had such individuals in every generation. But without exception, all of these pharaohs shared the fate of the very first one, and we are still here.
Antisemitism will not go away. We must remain vigilant and strong. We need to seek the Torah because the Jewish people without the Torah is like a lamp without light, which was what Queen Esther ordered Jewish people to do.We should remember that we are a minority and we can rely only on God. To rely on God, we should be close to His Torah. We will prevail.
How has music influenced your life?
My parents had me study music for seven years as a child, and I learned to play the piano. I have been familiar with music all my life; I sing and play guitar and piano. In 2022 and 2023, I began to write, and I composed 12 musical compositions. I recorded them in Paris with top musicians and formed a group called Shyfrin Alliance.
To date, we have released individual tracks on the leading music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. The entire album, Upside Down Blues, was released on October 18. One of my compositions was ranked 5th on the Top 100 Club Chart list.
Three titles are on the 1,000 Radio Chart in the US and have been played on 300 radio stations in the US, UK, and France. There is great joy of self-expression in composing and creating music. My videos on Facebook and YouTube have received 4.5 million views.
I am planning to record another two albums in the near future. The first, a jazz album, will be called Winter Cote D’ Azur Blues; the second, a rock-blues compilation, will be titled In the Shadow of Time.
Which gives you greater satisfaction – writing a book or writing and performing music?That’s a very good question. I would say that both provide similar levels of satisfaction because they are connected. For me, the composition process begins with the lyrics.
I try to inject serious meaning into my lyrics, which are strongly influenced by my Kabbalah studies. There are hidden Kabbalistic messages in almost all of my lyrics, so I can’t say that these two activities are unrelated to each other. I believe that my journey into the music world was inspired by my Kabbalah studies.
This article was written in cooperation with Eduard Shyfrin.