Emmanuel I. Rashba

Emmanuel (Em to friends and family) was a truly remarkable man—an extraordinary scientist, a brilliant intellect, and a person of deep integrity. He passed away peacefully at the age of 97 on January 12, 2025.

Emmanuel devoted his life to theoretical physics and his family. His most renowned discovery, the Rashba Effect, laid the foundation for the emerging field of spintronics. In Russia he served as the head of the Theory of Semiconductors Division at the Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics, and a professor of physics at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. At the age of 63, Emmanuel immigrated to the US, where he continued to work for another 25 years. He was deeply grateful to the US for another chapter of his life, where he worked as a research scholar at the University of Utah, SUNY at Buffalo, and Harvard University. He was a Fellow of the American Physical Society. Among many recognitions are the 1966 National Prize of the USSR and Oliver E. Buckley (2022, US) Prize for his work on spin-related phenomena. His name became a part of many technical terms such as Rashba Hamiltonian, giant Rashba systems, etc. The international community of physicists was like a second family to him.

His interests extended far beyond the sciences. Emmanuel possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of history and literature. His willpower was unmatched. Throughout his life he overcame many challenges. Born in Kyiv, he survived the Nazi invasion by fleeing with his family to Kazan, where he began his studies in physics. His graduation coincided with the final years of Stalin’s reign, a period of extreme antisemitism. As a result he faced significant obstacles and wasn’t able to find professional employment for 7 years.

To the world he was a renowned scientist, but to us he was a loving husband, father, and grandfather, who loved us and was proud of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He met his beloved wife Erna in preschool, and they carried each other through 67 years of marriage. Emmanuel led a long and meaningful life. He leaves behind a lasting legacy and will be remembered fondly by his colleagues and family.

Emmanuel is survived by his beloved wife Erna, his daughter Julia (and her husband Eugene), as well as his grandchildren, Sonia (Joel), Joe (Sarah) and great-grandchildren (Naomi, Eli, Maya, Matan, Hallel).

A funeral service will be held at Temple Emanuel, 385 Ward St., Newton on Tuesday, January 14 at 12:00pm with livestream viewing available using the following link: https://www.templeemanuel.com/livestream-links/?stream=gann

Burial will follow at the Crawford St. Memorial Park Cemetery, 776 Baker St., West Roxbury.

Shiva will be at the home of Julie & Eugene Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6-9pm (minyan at 7pm each evening) and Thursday from 6-9pm (no minyan Thursday evening).

In lieu of flowers, remembrance may be made to a charity of your choice.