Searching for a Chief Rabbi

There have been only two chief rabbis in the history of our community. The first was Rabbi Wentworth Arthur Matthew who established the first Black synagogue in Harlem in 1919 and led the community until his death in 1973. The second was Rabbi Levi Ben Levy who succeeded the founder and worked  with  Rabbi Yisrael, Rabbi Yahonaton, Rabbi Paris, and other leaders of that generation to create the International Israelite Board of Rabbis and to revive their alma mater under its new name the Israelite Academy.  Rabbi Levy died in 1999, and since that time our community has been without a chief rabbi.

The bylaws of the International Israelite Board of Rabbis list the qualifications and describes an elaborate process that must be undertaken before a chief rabbi can be chosen. Unlike the other office holders on the board who are elected for terms that expire every four years, the Chief rabbi is elected for life and can only be elevated to that office by overwhelming acclamation. These requirements are the reason the office has remained vacant for so long. The next person to hold that office will be the first Black chief rabbi of the twenty-first century. He will face the daunting challenge of unifying a people who are increasingly diverse in their religious practices and cultural views. Moreover, the Israelite community of today is no longer concentrated in New York City and Chicago. Black people have been discovering Judaism and their Israelite identity in various ways and in numerous locations throughout the United States, the Caribbean, South America, and particularly on the African continent. While we are excited about these areas of new growth and the potential to reach even more of our brothers and sisters, we are also concerned about aging or declining populations in some areas where our movement began.

A Chief rabbi is needed now to provide cohesion, vision, and structure. The Torah says that the people of God should not be “as sheep without a shepherd.” Yet, we are scattered, divided, and most of us march to the sound of  own drum instead of walking arm in arm with others. We live in a self-centered society that has become cynical of our religious leaders, distrustful of our politicians, and scornful of our teachers. Never before has the need for righteous leadership been so desperate. We do not seek a tyrant nor would we tolerate a person obsessed with vanity or avarice. We are looking for someone whose reputation is beyond reproach, someone whose love and commitment are demonstrated rather than promised, a Torah scholar who can inspire—but is more than a great orator, an elder who respects our traditions while being forward thinking enough to lead us into the future. Yes, we expect everything of this person except perfection. And yet we believe that we are a talented and blessed people who are endowed with exceptional intelligence and unique virtues. The leader we seek and the person we will fine represents the best of who we are as a people. His knowledge of our collective greatness will propel him to heights unimagined and we will be lifted up even as we elevate one of our own.

Rabbi Capers Funnye did not seek this office; but in October of 2014, when nominated unanimously by his colleagues, he graciously accepted the challenge. And even though he is currently running unopposed, his election is not a foregone conclusion. Rabbi Funnye must now pass the test of having his vision and plans for our future scrutinized by the very community he may lead. A few weeks ago he submitted himself to very vigorous questioning in a private meeting with  members of our Board in New York City. Many of the questioners supported his nomination in general but had specific areas of concern that they wanted him to address. Rabbi Funnye has been willing to state his positions clearly throughout this entire vetting process. He has put together a platform covering seventeen issues ranging from our concept of   שובה (Return) to his support for the ordination and inclusion of female rabbis. This document is available for you to read on our website. It is a work in progress in the sense that Rabbi Funnye has been willing to make clarifications and alterations when he finds them to be warranted.

We invite you to play a vital role in the selection of our next Chief rabbi. The dialogue about our collective future will be healthy and beneficial. The candidate has begun a “listening tour.” During this campaign Rabbi Funnye hopes to travel throughout the United States and visit our people in Africa and in Israel in an effort to understand what their needs are and to inform them of the ways in which the International Israelite Board of Rabbis can help us achieve our common goals. Please invite him to speak at your congregation and provide a form where   these issues can be discussed.  The board is planning to hold several conferences with the candidate that will be broadcasts over the Internet. We also have technology that would allow participants to see and ask questions via online conferencing.

We wish for this process to be as open and as inclusive as possible. By the end of it we will emerge a more unified people. We will have common goals and a leader we all can embrace as “our Chief Rabbi.”

Please contact Rabbi Baruch Yehudah, Executive Secretary of the International Israelite Board of Rabbis, to arrange a visit from the candidate or to schedule a public forum to discuss these issues. In addition, we have provided links below to relevant documents.

May the Creator of the Universe guide us in the path of righteousness that we may choose wisely. May the selection of this Chief Rabbi be the next step in the Divine plan to unite and gather our people from the four corners of the earth.

With Torah Blessings,

Rabbi Sholomo Ben Levy
President, Int’l Israelite Board of Rabbis

Vision Statement by Rabbi Capers Funnye

Unity Charter of the International Israelite Board of  Rabbis

Biography of Rabbi Capers Funnye