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Professor Branover OBM, was born in Riga, the capital of Latvia, in 1932, to his father Hertz Branover, an agronomist and nature enthusiast who headed an agricultural school. Professor Yirmiyahu inherited his father’s love for science. He later headed the Center for Magneto-Hydrodynamics Studies at Ben-Gurion University in Be’er Sheva, and also served as a professor at Tel Aviv University, institutions in New York City, Argonne National Laboratory, and more. For his scientific work and numerous publications, he earned worldwide recognition, including the prestigious Lady Davis Prize. He authored dozens of books and hundreds of articles on both science and alternative energy, as well as on Jewish thought.

His childhood was tragically disrupted during World War II: his father was murdered by Latvians, and his mother managed to flee with the family deep into Russia before eventually returning to Riga, which had by then been annexed by the Soviet Union. As a teenager, he encountered Russian nationalism and antisemitism, and was even denied acceptance to an academy due to his Jewish background. It was during this time that his journey to rediscover his Jewish identity began. Alongside this, he continued his engineering studies. Though he had once dreamed of studying nuclear physics, he turned instead to the then-developing field of alternative energy, beginning with hydrodynamics and later advancing to magneto-hydrodynamics, which focuses on the movement of liquid metals within magnetic fields.

During his studies, he met his future wife, Fania. At the same time, he grew stronger in his Jewish observance, studying the Lashon Hakodesh, acquiring foundational knowledge through books, and connecting with the underground network of Chabad chassidim in the Soviet Union, including Rabbi Note Barkan, who helped bring him closer to Judaism. From a scientist who embraced Darwinism, he became a believing, observant chassid, carefully keeping Torah and mitzvos. The many challenges he faced only strengthened his faith and deepened his connection to his heritage. Even while still in the Soviet Union, he grew a beard.

As a scientist, he faced significant obstacles in obtaining permission to leave the Soviet Union. Only in the early 1970s did he fulfill his dream of emigrating to the Holy Land, settling in Be’er Sheva. In later years, he resided in the United States.

At Ben-Gurion University, he established a laboratory in his field of expertise and inaugurated it by affixing a mezuzah. On his first visit to the United States, he had a private audience with the Rebbe. Professor Branover became a sought-after lecturer around the world, both in academic circles as a renowned physicist and as a Torah-observant scientist, demonstrating to young Jews that there is no contradiction between scientific advancement and a life grounded in faith in the Creator.

Even after Gimmel Tammuz, he continued to publicize the belief in the Rebbe’s eternal life and the imminent fulfillment of the prophecy of Redemption. He also participated in gatherings focused on Geulah and Moshiach, including events held in 1995 organized by Rabbi Zimroni Tzick to welcome the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.

Professor Branover headed SHAMIR, an organization of observant academics from Russia, through which he advanced a major initiative to translate foundational Jewish texts into Russian. At the Rebbe’s direction, he joined its leadership to help spread Judaism among Russian speakers through publishing. SHAMIR publications were among the first Jewish books to reach the Soviet Union during the era of Leonid Brezhnev. In the late 1980s, he was appointed by the Rebbe to lead a unique project to absorb waves of immigration from Russia, including the establishment of the SHAMIR neighborhood in Jerusalem, designed to provide appropriate employment solutions for immigrants.

In the early 1990s, he served as editor-in-chief of a three-volume encyclopedia on Russian Jewry, and also published a Chumash with a new Russian translation.

Among his books is “The Way Back,” his autobiography describing his journey from birth until his departure from the Soviet Union to Israel.

He also authored two biographical works on the Rebbe and published dozens of articles on Torah and science in three languages.

Professor Branover served as chairman of Mateh Moshiach in Eretz Yisrael beginning in 1999, when he was appointed by Rabbi Shlomo Midanchik, chairman of Agudas Chassidei Chabad. For several years, he authored a regular column in the weekly publication “Geulah: Interesting and Relevant,” focusing on aligning the laws of nature with the approaching Redemption.

In 1992, he was awarded the Knesset Chairman’s Prize for Quality of Life, and in 2016 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minister of National Infrastructure.

He authored numerous works, including “The Way Back” (autobiography), “In the Eye of the Heart” (first edition biography of the Rebbe, published by Maariv in 1989), “A Prophet from Your Midst” (second edition biography, 2007), “How Great Are Your Works” (co-editor), “From the Depths” (essays on religion and atheism, secretly printed in Israel during his time in the Soviet Union), and “Teshuvah,” which presents his life story alongside the conclusions he reached throughout his journey.

He is survived by his son, Rabbi Daniel Branover of Crown Heights, and grandchildren who continue in his path. His wife, Fania, of blessed memory, passed away in 2012.

May it be G-d’s will that the promise be fulfilled immediately: “Awaken and sing, you who dwell in the dust”—and he among them.

Baruch Dayan Ha’emes.

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