|
“The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief
cornerstone. This is the LORD's doing; it is
marvelous in our eyes.” Psalm 118:22-23 There was a time
when Black Jews were not welcomed in the halls of power. Those days are gone forever! Today, Rabbi Shmuel
Funnye travels the world meeting heads of state in Israel,
Africa, and America. Most recently he and Miriam went to the
Whitehouse to visit his cousin, Michelle, and her husband, Barack, for their
Hanukkah Party. President Obama told
the story of Hanukkah himself and explained to the assembled guests how much
this celebration of freedom means to him. Rabbi Funnye, who attended a
similar ceremony at the Whitehouse with President George W. Bush said the difference was “President Obama understands
the Israelite Community because he has family members who are Black and
Jewish. President Obama understands us because he understands the struggles
of people who are marginalized because of their identity.”
Times
are changing. Doors, minds, and hearts are opening. These things are
happening because the promises of Hashem do not
return empty (Isaiah 55:11). The
African American poet Langston Hughes expressed the same sentiment in his
poem “I, too, sing America”
which has the hopeful lines: “Tomorrow,/ I’ll be at
the table / When company comes. / Nobody’ll dare /
Say to me, / “Eat in the kitchen,” Then. / Besides, / They’ll see how
beautiful I am / And be ashamed--/ I, too, am America.” When I spoke to Rabbi Funnye about these
changes he said that he is encouraged and optimistic about the future. The opportunities are there and increasing
everyday. We must be prepared to accept them when available. A child who grew up rejected may as an
adult expect rejection at every turn.
Our community is mature enough to know that a lot has changed since
1919, thank God. Yet, there are still
separatists who hide behind various theological and cultural guises to keep
us apart. We understand the difference
between unity and complete assimilation, between cooperation with people who
accept us from seeking permission to be ourselves from people who deny us.
Fortunately, no one is asking us to sell our birthright, like Esau, for a
bowl of pottage. Instead, they are recognizing the value and beauty of our
diversity. It is no longer seen as a weakness, but as one of our greatest
strengths.
W.E.B. Du Boise
explained the strange paradox of being Black in White America in his classic
book Souls of Black Folk (1903).
The similarity to being a Black Jew in a word that views Jews as White fits
perfectly in this context. Du Boise acknowledged
the tension that exists between these identities and the temptation to
abandon one or the other in a vain quest for acceptance. Du
Boise wrote that “He would not Africanize America,
for America has too much
to teach the world and Africa. He would not
bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that
Negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible
for a man to be both a Negro and an American without being cursed and spit
upon by his fellow, without having the doors of Opportunity
closed roughly in his face.” Likewise, we would not give up our Jewishness nor our Blackness. They are, in fact, inseparable parts of
a single identity. We believe that we are blessed and enriched by this
identity and it makes possible our contribution to the world.
As
Rabbi Funnye travels to capitals, meets with heads of state, and dines with
dignitaries around the world, he does so cognizant of the fact that he walks
in the shoes of those who have gone before him. He stands on the shoulders of
his teachers who believed this day would come. And, most importantly, Rabbi
Funnye knows that he carries the dreams of our young and yet unborn. In a profound sense he carries all of us
with him everywhere he goes, even to the Whitehouse. We, too, must understand
that we are all ambassadors of the God we serve. The mission of our covenant is to be a גוים לאור “light
unto the nations.” (Isaiah 42:6).
Therefore, we must be proud of our collective progress as we work
together and through our individual actions to continue this achievement.
Tuesday, March 2, 8:15 PM
92nd Street Y
1395 Lexington Ave., New York
$27. Use code BCHL for a 20% Be'chol Lashon
discount!
Hear about Rabbi Funnye's journey to
Judaism, his work with Be'chol Lashon to strengthen
the global Jewish people, as well as a few inside stories about the First
Family. Click here
for tickets.
Rabbi
Capers Funnye in Conversation with Ari L. Goldman
|
