Rabbi Capers Funnye skillfully navigated a Jewish world wary of Hebrew Israelites

Rabbi Capers Funnye, a prominent Black Jewish leader and cousin of Michelle Obama, has died at age 74. He led Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago and served as chief rabbi of the International Israelite Board of Rabbis, working to bridge Hebrew Israelite and mainstream Jewish communities. His death was announced by his congregation; the cause was cancer. A memorial service is scheduled for Friday.

Rabbi Capers Funnye, one of the most prominent Black Jews in the United States and a cousin of Michelle Obama, died on Monday at age 74. His death was announced by the Chicago congregation he had led since 1985, Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation. The cause of death was cancer, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. A memorial service is scheduled for Friday at the synagogue. Funnye was known for his work advocating for diversity and inclusion in American Jewish communities. He served as chief rabbi of the International Israelite Board of Rabbis (IIBR) since 2015, a Torah-observant branch of Black Israelism. He welcomed women into the rabbinate and played a role in hiring Israelite clergy at mainstream synagogues. He was repulsed by antisemitic groups often called "Black Hebrew Israelites" and regularly condemned them. He faced opposition from the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, which argued in 2023 that some IIBR Israelites are not Jews. Funnye called that stance "extremely racist." He is survived by his wife, Mary, four children, and grandchildren.