Yid Vid: Michelle Obama’s Rabbi Cousin Has Some Advice for the President
Rabbi Capers Funnye, Jr., a cousin of First Lady Michelle Obama, is calling on President Obama to make Middle East peace “a top priority” of his administration. Funnye appears with a handful of other rabbis in a five-minute video, created before the inauguration by the organization Brit Tzedek v’Shalom – Jewish Alliance for Justice & Peace — pleading with the new president to promote a peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians. “There is no time left to walk softly and hope for the best,” Funnye, who attended his in-law’s inauguration Tuesday, says in the video.
On behalf of Brit Tzedek, Funnye, adds: “As Jewish clergy, we pledge to mobilize our people behind your leadership for a mutually acceptable two-state solution. We pledge to support you through difficult, trying times and to celebrate with you when the job is done.”
Funnye is the spiritual leader of Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago.
Other rabbis in the video ask President Obama to move quickly to appoint a high-level Middle East Envoy.
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