Capers Funnye facts for kids

Capers C. Funnye Jr. was an African-American Conservative rabbi who lived in Chicago, Illinois. A rabbi is an important teacher and spiritual leader in the Jewish faith. He served as the leader of the Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation. He was also chosen as the Chief Rabbi of the International Israelite Board of Rabbis. Throughout his life, he worked hard to bring different religious and cultural communities together. He was also a relative of First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama.

Early Life and Growing Up

Heritage in South Carolina

Capers Funnye Jr. was born on April 14, 1952, in Georgetown, South Carolina. This coastal area is known as the Low Country. His family had roots among the Geechee people of the Sea Islands. The Gullah people are famous for keeping many deep cultural traditions from West Africa alive. Many people in West Africa share similar family names.

Move to Chicago

When Funnye was young, his family moved north to Chicago as part of the Great Migration of African Americans. During this historic movement, millions of Black families moved to industrial cities to find new opportunities. He grew up on the city's famous South Side. Living there allowed him to spend time with his large extended family. This family included young Michelle Obama, who was his first cousin once removed.

Finding His Spiritual Calling

Exploring Different Faiths

Funnye was raised in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. When he was 17, his church minister suggested that he become a religious leader. Later, while attending Howard University in Washington, D.C., he learned about black nationalism and human rights. He wanted to explore new ideas, so he studied Islam and other beliefs. Eventually, he joined the House of Israel Congregation, which practiced a form of Messianic Judaism.

Becoming a Rabbi

Funnye wanted to learn more about traditional Jewish customs. He began studying with Rabbi Levi Ben Levy in Brooklyn, New York. Levy led the International Israelite Board of Rabbis, a group tracing back to Wentworth Arthur Matthew and the Commandment Keepers founded in Harlem in 1919. Funnye studied with Levy for five years. In 1985, he was ordained through the Israelite Rabbinical Academy.

Higher Education

Funnye also wanted to build strong ties with mainstream Jewish groups. In 1985, he completed a formal conversion with a Conservative court of rabbis. He also earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jewish Studies and a Master of Science degree from the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago. He loved how Jewish traditions encouraged deep thinking, questions, and continuous study.

Leadership and Community Work

Leading Beth Shalom Congregation

In 1985, Funnye became an assistant rabbi at Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation. It grew to around 200 members and became one of the largest Black synagogues in the nation. The congregation originally began in 1918 under Rabbi Horace Hasan, who came from Bombay (now Mumbai), India.

The community's synagogue is located in the Marquette Park neighborhood in a building first built by an Ashkenazi congregation. Their worship style blended Conservative Judaism and Modern Orthodox traditions with African-American culture. For example, men and women sat separately like in Orthodox services, but a chorus sang historic spirituals with a drum. Their members include Black Jews, Hispanic members, and white members.

Building Bridges

Funnye was the first African-American member of the Chicago Board of Rabbis. He served with groups like the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs and the American Jewish Congress. In 1995, he worked with writer Robin Washington to help start the National Conference of Black Jews.

Funnye traveled to visit Jewish communities across the world. He met with the Beta Israel community from Ethiopia and the Igbo Jews of Nigeria. On April 2, 2009, he gave a famous speech at a Reform synagogue in New York. He spoke about civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Family Life

Funnye married Mary White, and they had four children together. Her brother helped raise support during the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama. Funnye passed away from cancer on November 2, 2026, at the age of 74.