Departing president reflects on shule’s strength

Emanuel Synagogue ushered in a new era at its AGM on May 26, when Ian Rathmell was unanimously elected to succeed Grant McCorquodale as president.

McCorquodale, a past president of Emanuel School, joined the shule’s board in 2021, and served a full term as president from May 2023.

The changeover occurred only weeks before the conclusion of Senior Rabbi Jeffrey Kamins’s tenure. “It allows Ian Rathmell and Rabbi Ninio to forge their own partnership,” McCorquodale told The AJN.

“When Rabbi Kamins and I spoke in the immediate aftermath of October 7, his guidance was clear … that our synagogue must be a sanctuary, where members can come for relief, healing and connection.

“We have welcomed another 500 members since then, and now have 4000. And because Rabbi Ninio has been here for 27 years, and the community has so much confidence in her, the succession of our senior rabbi became one of the most natural and easy decisions.”