Yosef Abramowitz

Yosef Abramowitz (Hebrew: יוסף אברמוביץ; born 1964) is an Israeli-American environmentalist, solar energy pioneer and activist. He is president and CEO of Gigawatt Global/Energiya Global Capital as well as co-founder of the Arava Power Company and the NGO Gigawatt Impact.^[2] Through fighting for the rights of various groups he has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 3 times.^[3]

Yosef Abramowitz
יוסף אברמוביץ
Abramowitz in 2020
Born	May 1964 (age 61) Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American-Israeli
Education	Boston University (BA) Columbia University (MA)
Occupation	Solar energy entrepreneur Environmental acitivist
Organization(s)	Gigawatt Global (co-founder, CEO)[1]
Spouse	Susan Silverman (1992-present)
Children	5
Awards	Nobel Peace Prize (nominated)

Business career

Sustainable Energy Development

In 2025 Abramowitz co-founded the NGO Gigawatt Impact.^[4]

In 2011, Abramowitz co-founded and currently serves as the CEO of Energiya Global Capital / Gigawatt Global.^[2] A company which finances green energy projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. Gigawatt global has established renewable energy projects around the world including projects in Rwanda, Burundi as well as the United States.^[5]

In 2006 Abramowitz co-founded the Arava power company with David Rosenblatt and Ed Hofland on Kibbutz Ketura and was the president of the company until 2013.^[6] In 2008 Siemens project ventures acquired a 40% stake in the company through a $15 million investment.^[7] In 2010 Arava power gained government funding which allowed the company to build 8 projects in the Negev Desert that supplied 58.5 MW.^[8]

Journalism and writing

Abramowitz has extensive experience as a columnist, working for The Daily Free Press (1983–86), Israel Scene Magazine (1988–90), Moment Magazine (1993-95), The Chronicle of Philanthropy (2004-2006), Ha’aretz (2010) and the Jerusalem Post (2013-2021)^[9]

Along with his wife Abramowitz wrote Jewish Family and Life: Traditions, Holidays, and Values for Today's Parents and Children, which was published in 1998.^[10] Furthermore, he has received writing credits for What Israel Means to Me (2006), How Americans Feel About Israel (1984) and Jews, Zionism, and South Africa (1984).

Activism

Soviet Jews

Abramowitz was deeply involved in campaigning for the protection of Jews who lived in the Soviet Union. From 1997 – 2007 He was the president of the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews,^[11] which has earned him three separate Nobel Peace Prize nominations.^[3]

In his fight for the protection of Soviet Jews he took direct action which resulted in legal troubles. In October 1985 he was arrested while protesting for the release of Boris Lifshitz but his case was overturned by the supreme court.^[12] Abramowitz also led a 2 week long hunger strike for the release of soviet prisoner Alexei Magarik. Also in February 1987 Abramowitz, organized 23 demonstrations around the world on Jewish Student Solidarity Day for Soviet Jewry.

South Africa

Abramowitz was heavily involved in the anti-apartheid and divesture movement at Boston University. He took part in direct action in the form of a 14 day strike that protested Boston University’s investments into apartheid South Africa.^[13] These actions ultimately got Abramowitz banned from pre-democratic South Africa.^[14]

Bedouin Climate Justice

Abramowitz has fought for the rights of the Bedouin community and their inclusion in renewable energy solusions through the NGO Shamsuna^[15]. He is both a co-founder and co-chair of the company and through his involvement he has managed to facilitate successful projects such as the Al-Furra School which has brought renewable energy and education to over 350 students^[16].

Other activism

In 1997 he was part of the successful campaign to reinstate $7 billion to the United States as a correction to the Welfare Reform Act.^[17]

Abramowitz helped to establish the Ethiopian Atid Ehad political party in Israel.

He is also an active advocate for collaboration between Israeli-Arabs and Jewish Israeli’s over renewable energy.

Award nominations for Work

Year	Category	Institution or publication	Result	Notes	Ref.
2004	Excellence in Jewish Education	Covenant Award	Won	The Covenant Foundation	[18]
2012	Developing the Solar Industry	Person of the year award	Won	Israel Energy and Business Convention	[19]
2014	Entrepreneurship and Technology	Bonei Zion	Won	Nefesh B’Nefesh	[20]
2016	Green Globe	Israeli Parliament	Won	Life and Environment	[21]
2021	Nobel Peace Prize	Nobel	Nominated	Union of Councils for Soviet Jews	[3]

Biography

Abramowitz was born the United States to a Jewish family. He lived in Israel as a child from 1969 to 1972, before returning to Boston. While living in Massachusetts, he attended the Solomon Schechter School of Greater Boston, and graduated in 1980 from Hebrew College Prozdor and in 1982 from Brookline High School.^{[citation needed]} He received a Bachelor of Arts in Jewish Public Policy from Boston University in 1986, where he studied under Elie Wiesel, Howard Zinn and Hillel Levine, and a Master of Arts in Magazine Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1991, which he attended on a Wexner Graduate Fellowship.^[22] He is married to Rabbi Susan Silverman with whom he has five children.^[2]

In 2006, he moved from Newton, Massachusetts to Kibbutz Ketura.^[23]