Michelle Obama Has a Rabbi in Her Family [Dems pull Funnye Capers for Jewish vote]

Der Forverts ^ | Sept. 2, 2008 | Anthony Weiss

[justiceseeker93]

It was not a blood relative of HRC who was Jewish, merely a man who married into the family. Not dissimilar to to this “rabbi” who is a blood relative of Obama’s wife, only related to Obama himself by by marriage.

[arthurus]

Rabbi Capers Funnye

That's really his name????That is like Antiks Hilarius.

[ChicagoHebrew]

This is a different group than the Black Israelites. They aren't racist or crazy, and practice what probably could be described as something close to mainstream conservadox Judaism (among other things, they use a regular Sephardi Orthodox siddur).

It's related to this group: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commandment_Keepers

The main breach they have with the regular Jewish community is a refusal by many of them to formally convert.

[Zionist Conspirator]

Thank you for the correction.

[ChicagoHebrew]

I actually find this group fascinating. One the one hand, they practice a relatively mainstream Judaism (i.e., they accept the Talmud, reject Jesus, use a standard Sephardi siddur, have separate seating for men & women etc.). In New York, it's not uncommon for their children to go to Yeshiva University. On the other hand, they refuse to convert (generally) and bizarrely think that the original Jews were black Africans. The latter view is so patently irrational that I have trouble taking them seriously -- today's Iraqi Jews are the direct descendants of the Talmudic Rabbis they study. And they aren't black.

Yes, it's equally irrational to think that the original Jews were blond haired, blue eyed and fair skinned. But no Ashkenazi claims that as an article of faith.

[Alouette]

Yes, it's equally irrational to think that the original Jews were blond haired, blue eyed and fair skinned. But no Ashkenazi claims that as an article of faith.

I do not think anyone has claimed that, ever.