20 | JANUARY 30 • 2020 

| faces&places
Jews in the D

On Sunday, Jan. 19, Rabbi Capers 
Funnye, rabbi at Chicago’
s Beth 
Shalom B’
nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew 
Congregation, spoke to members of 
the Metro Detroit Jewish and African 
American communities during several 
events to commemorate the legacy of 
Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 
The day began at Congregation Beth 
Shalom in Oak Park, hosted by several 
synagogues and the Jewish Community 
Relations Council/AJC (JCRC/AJC), 
where Funnye discussed having his 
overlapping identities and the MLK leg-
acy. Next, he was interviewed by Rabbi 
Aaron Starr at a brunch at Congregation 
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield about 
his journey to Judaism, the history of 
Jewish-African American relations and 
what is like to be a Jew of color today.
In partnership with the Coalition for 
Black and Jewish Unity, a JCRC/AJC 
program, and the Council of Baptist 
Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity, he spoke 
during the council’
s “Celebrating the 
Legacy of The Reverend Dr. Martin 
Luther King, Jr.: Making The Dream a 
Reality” program at the Russell Street 
Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit. 

Item provided by JCRC/AJC. 

PHOTOS BY ANDREA STINSON OLIVER

CLOCKWISE: Choir, speakers 
and attendees at the event at the 
Russell Street Missionary Baptist 
Church. Terri Flowers, Dr. Pauline 
Plummer and Rabbi Daniel Syme. 
Rabbi Funnye and U.S. Sen. Debbie 
Stabenow. Rabbi Funnye address-
es the crowd at Congregation Beth 
Shalom. ABOVE: Chavis Jones, 
president of the Duke University 
School of Law Black Graduate and 
Professional Students Association, 
with Rabbi Asher Lopatin, JCRC/
AJC executive director

COURTESY JCRC/AJC