Rabbi Capers Funnye, Who Led Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Congregation in Chicago, Illinois, Dies at 74

Rabbi Capers C. Funnye Jr., chief rabbi of Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation on the Southwest Side of Chicago, died Monday from cancer. He was 74. The congregation is one of the largest Black synagogues in America. Funnye was also a cousin of former First Lady Michelle Obama.

Funnye was credited with serving as a bridge between mainstream, mostly white, Jewish congregations and the smaller community of Black Jewish congregations. Robin Washington, who co-founded the Alliance of Black Jews with Funnye in 1995, said he was dedicated to that work. “Not everybody wants to be a bridge, but for Capers, he did want to do this, and was very dedicated to the work,” Washington said. The Alliance lasted only a few years, Washington said, but “we got the word out that Black Jews exist.” Washington now serves as editor-at-large of the Jewish Forward, an online publication. His effort to build understanding across communities reflects a commitment to unity (Psalm 133:1).

Longtime congregant and Rabbi Tamar Manasseh said Funnye pressed the wider world to acknowledge Black Jews. She said he “brought us out of obscurity” and was willing to endure discomfort until other congregations, including some with no Black members, visited the congregation and were visited in return. Manasseh also said Funnye was the first Black rabbi on the Chicago Board of Rabbis and “broke a lot of barriers” in the city.

Funnye began leading the congregation in Marquette Park in 1985. His congregation posted a note on Facebook on Wednesday that described his “spiritual leadership, wisdom, and unwavering commitment” to the congregation and the broader Hebrew Israelite community. The note said his “legacy of faith, service, and dedication will continue to inspire generations.”

Funnye attended Barack Obama’s first inauguration in January 2009, and The New York Times published a profile of him that April. He attended eight White House Hanukkah celebrations during the Obama administration. Longtime friend Rabbi Baruch Yehudah, who leads a congregation in Brooklyn, said Funnye “never exploited that relationship” and respected the Obamas’ space. Manasseh said he was “very proud of Michelle and Barack.”

Funnye was born in 1952 in Georgetown, South Carolina, and attended Howard University. He received a degree in Hebrew literature and rabbinic ordination from the International Israelite Board of Rabbis, and degrees in Jewish studies and human services administration from the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago, according to Washington. Yehudah said Funnye grew up Christian and began his path toward Judaism in the early 1970s.

Funnye is survived by his wife, Mary Funnye, four children and multiple grandchildren. A celebration of life is scheduled for Friday at 10 a.m. at Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, 6601 S. Kedzie Ave.

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