adopted by The City Council
ofthe City of Chicago. Illinois
TRIBUTE TO PRINCE ASIEL BEN ISRAEL
WHEREAS, In His infinite wisdom, almighty God has granted eternal peace to Prince Asiel Ben Israel, an outstanding and remarkable worldwide spiritual leader, on August 21,2022; and
WHEREAS, Prince Asiel started his life's journey in this city on April 30,1941 as Warren Brown who graduated from Dunbar Vocational High School in 1959. He furthered his education at DePaul University in Chicago and focused on international studies at the University of Ghana, in Accra, Ghana, as well as Makerere University, in Kampala, Uganda. In addition, he received a doctorate from the School of Interactive Theology at the School of the Prophets Institute, in Dimona, Israel; and
WHEREAS, Warren Brown joined Ben Ammi Ben-Israel's African Hebrew Israelite Nation of Jerusalem and took the name Prince Asiel Ben Israel. He eventually left America with a charter group of 350 African Americans, (mainly from Chicago) for the Holy Land where they settled primarily in the city of Dimona on the outskirts ofthe Negev Desert. This group that grew to 2,500 adopted Judaism as their principles of living; and
WHEREAS Prince Asiel Ben Israel served as that community's international ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, championing peace and unity in Chicago, Israel, Africa, and throughout the world for more than 50 years. In 1981, Ben Israel and his wife, Yohanna Brown, opened Original Soul Vegetarian, a vegan restaurant on the South Side of Chicago; and
WHEREAS Prince Asiel Ben Israel was president and CEO of Bold Spiritual Initiative, president of Africa Israel Asia, international spokesperson for Straight Talk Economic Roundtable, chairman of First Africa Corporation, a sponsor of the annual Holy Jerusalem Summit Conferences, and a convener of the National Leadership Council of African Americans. Additionally, he has served with Support-a-Child International, Inc., as a board member of the International United Black Fund, a coordinator of the African Development Program's private volunteer organization project (as well as director of its international fundraising projects), as a special economic advisor to the World Conference of Mayors, as an advisor to the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus, and as a member of the African American Clergy Network of Chicago; and
WHEREAS, earlier this year, hundreds gathered along with leaders from the Shiloh Institute and the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest at the DuSable Museum to celebrate the long-time alliance between the Black and Jewish communities and pay tribute to the life and legacy of Prince Asiel Ben Israel as a leader of unity; and
WHEREAS, The Honorable Roderick Sawyer, Alderperson of the 6th Ward, has informed this august body of the transition of this unique and accomplished spiritual, civic, and world leader; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, that we the mayor and members of the City of Chicago City Council, gathered together this 21s1 Day of September, 2022 AD, do hereby express our sincere sorrow upon the passing of Prince Asiel Ben Israel and extend our deepest condolences to his family and his many followers.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the family of Prince Asiel Ben Israel.