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How did the Wailing Wall get its name?

How did the Wailing Wall get its name?


The Western Wall, or The Kotel, is the remaining wall of Solomon's Temple, destroyed except for that piece in AD 70 in the First Jewish-Roman War. That it is left standing is said to be a sign of God's unbroken bond with the Jewish people, despite the (many) catastrophes that have befallen the Jewish people. It is called "The Wailing Wall", supposedly symbolizing Jews crying over the many hardships endured by the Jewish people, though that term isn't PC anymore.

What was the general atittude towards Jewish people of WASPS in the 1950s in the United States?

What was the general atittude towards Jewish people of WASPS in the 1950s in the United States?


General dislike/jealousy, since upper-class WASPs and their inherited old money were being superseded by the better business sense of Jews, who were rising quickly to nouveau riche status and moving out of poor areas. There were still housing and country club covenants in the 1950s that prevented Jews and Italians from buying houses in certain WASPy neighborhoods. Like my grandparents were prevented from buying a house somewhere when they first wanted to move to the 'burbs because of this.

General dislike/jealousy, since upper-class WASPs and their inherited old money were being superseded by the better business sense of Jews, who were rising quickly to nouveau riche status and moving out of poor areas. There were still housing and country club covenants in the 1950s that prevented Jews and Italians from buying houses in certain WASPy neighborhoods. Like my grandparents were prevented from buying a house somewhere when they first wanted to move to the 'burbs because of this.


Yeah, America up til recently (and even today, in some circles) was somewhat anti-semitic - if not always in an openly ostrasizing, antagonistic manner, then in more subtle ways. Though I'd hazard Jewish people were on the whole better integrated than Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and other non-Whites, as many of them were basically European, I do know being Jewish sort of restricted you in certain areas.

Yeah, America up til recently (and even today, in some circles) was somewhat anti-semitic - if not always in an openly ostrasizing, antagonistic manner, then in more subtle ways. Though I'd hazard Jewish people were on the whole better integrated than Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and other non-Whites, as many of them were basically European, I do know being Jewish sort of restricted you in certain areas.


Overall, Jews and Catholics (Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Czech etc.) were not considered "white" in the same way as Northern Europeans of German, English, Scottish, Dutch, and Scandinavian descent in America until the 1960s, and were restricted from moving to certain suburbs and joining certain organizations, going to certain schools, etc. Though of course this pales in comparison to the discrimination faced by non-whites.

Overall, Jews and Catholics (Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Czech etc.) were not considered "white" in the same way as Northern Europeans of German, English, Scottish, Dutch, and Scandinavian descent in America until the 1960s, and were restricted from moving to certain suburbs and joining certain organizations, going to certain schools, etc. Though of course this pales in comparison to the discrimination faced by non-whites.


Just out of curiosity, has there ever been a Jewish president? Not so much in religion, more ethnicity...

Just out of curiosity, has there ever been a Jewish president? Not so much in religion, more ethnicity...


Nome. There has never even been a Catholic president...

Nome. There has never even been a Catholic president...


Wasn't John F. Kennedy Catholic? At least she identified himself as one.

Nome. There has never even been a Catholic president...



Oh yes there has.  John F. Kennedy.  He was an Irish-Catholic from Boston.

Oh yes there has.  John F. Kennedy.  He was an Irish-Catholic from Boston.


Oh yeah, sorry...it was late...

Just out of curiosity, has there ever been a Jewish president? Not so much in religion, more ethnicity...


But, I do believe, Alexander Hamiltons mother was Jewish, and since in the religion, the status of Jewish is passed through the matrilineal line that would have made him Jewish.

To what do you attribute the breakdown of African/American Jewish relations since the civil rights era.  The Jewish people were the number one allies of the then.  I don't understand the animosity.

But, I do believe, Alexander Hamiltons mother was Jewish, and since in the religion, the status of Jewish is passed through the matrilineal line that would have made him Jewish.

To what do you attribute the breakdown of African/American Jewish relations since the civil rights era.  The Jewish people were the number one allies of the then.  I don't understand the animosity.


The influence of Black Panthers off-shoots/Black Muslims?

But, I do believe, Alexander Hamiltons mother was Jewish, and since in the religion, the status of Jewish is passed through the matrilineal line that would have made him Jewish.

To what do you attribute the breakdown of African/American Jewish relations since the civil rights era.  The Jewish people were the number one allies of the then.  I don't understand the animosity.


Alexander Hamilton was not president, though. Here's something about Hamilton's Jewishness:

"Alexander Hamilton was born on the British island of Nevis, in the West Indies, on January 11, 1755. His mother was most likely Jewish, and his father, James Hamilton, was a non-Jewish Scotsman descended from the House of Hamilton in Ayrshire, Scotland. In the 1760s, Alexander attended a Jewish school in Nevis, which was housed in a synagogue in Charleston, the island's capital. The local Anglican school was not an option for Alexander, because he was a bastard in the eyes of the church. His mother, Rachel, had never divorced her first husband, who was also Jewish, and her union with James was therefore not technically marriage, making Alexander illegitimate."

In my eyes, if he converted to Anglicanism, which I think he did, he would have become only of Jewish descent, and no longer even technically a Jew.

I attribute the breakdown of Jewish/African-American relations to a number of things...I think it's the fault of both sides. One thing which soured many Jews to the civil rights movement was the race riots of the late 1960s, which destroyed a great many Jewish-owned businesses in large cities and targeted Jews. For example, in the city of Newark, my grandfather's old neighborhood still mostly had Jewish-owned businesses, but most Jews had moved out to the suburbs. This soured many Jews to the civil rights movement and made racists of many of them, after white flight (which was due to lack of foresight by the Jews and Italians in these neighborhoods...racially mixed and prosperous neighborhoods could have been created.) On the other end, the Black Muslims and Black Panthers in the 1970s were oh-so-anti-Semitic (i.e. Louis Farrakhan.)  And then in the 1980s, there were the Crown Heights riots, which revealed the community tensions in Brooklyn between the Jews and African-Americans, and the murder of Yankel Rosenbaum. And that Public Enemy said most of the evil in the world was created by Jews. And so on.

Alexander Hamilton was not president, though. Here's something about Hamilton's Jewishness:



Well, yes I knew that.
Alexander Hamilton was not president, though. Here's something about Hamilton's Jewishness:



On the other end, the Black Muslims and Black Panthers in the 1970s were oh-so-anti-Semitic (i.e. Louis Farrakhan.)  And then in the 1980s, there were the Crown Heights riots, which revealed the community tensions in Brooklyn between the Jews and African-Americans, and the murder of Yankel Rosenbaum. And that Public Enemy said most of the evil in the world was created by Jews. And so on.




Louis Farrakhan, born Louis Walcott, was a member of our church, my mother remembered him(when she still had a memory) and was extremely disappointed in him.  He was smart and talented. He was raised by his grandmother and she was very upset at his attitude toward Jews, as was everyone in the church(St Cyprians Episcopal)

Well, yes I knew that.

Louis Farrakhan, born Louis Walcott, was a member of our church, my mother remembered him(when she still had a memory) and was extremely disappointed in him.  He was smart and talented. He was raised by his grandmother and she was very upset at his attitude toward Jews, as was everyone in the church(St Cyprians Episcopal)


I've always thought that it's a tragedy that African-American/Jewish relations went sour. I assumed you knew Hamilton was not president  ;D.

To what do you attribute the breakdown of African/American Jewish relations since the civil rights era.  The Jewish people were the number one allies of the then.  I don't understand the animosity.


It is probably a combination of several factors.

For one, you had the rise of groups like Nation Of Islam.  Since this was a militant Muslim group, it turned a lot of Blacks against people of the Jewish faith.

In addition, unlike most religions Judaism does not endorse "Conversion".  To most Jews, you are born a Jew.  It is very hard to find any Rabbi or synagogue that are interested in accepting "converts", unless the reason is to accept the religion of a new or future spouse.  This has resulted in Jews being probably the most "white" religion.  Blacks who are or become Jewish are very rare.  I can only think of one, and that is Sammy Davis Junior.

Also, the Jewish faith also tends to be one of the most conservative of all religions.  While often embraceing liberal social ideals, the religion itself is very conservative.  Most of the traditions and oral histories go back many thousands of years, and are not going to be changed.  The adheriance to dietary laws, sabbath requirements, and other old beliefs (notice I said "old" and not "antiquated") tends to make outsiders cautious.

Also many blacks (or their parents-grandparents) often have been raised in a Baptist religious environment.  A lot of Baptist groups in the 40's and 50's considered Jews to be the "killers of Jesus".

There is probably not any one reason for this, but a combination of many factors.

Oh, and Alexander Hamilton would have been considered "Jewish" in many areas, including 15th century Spain and Nazi Germany.  In Spain, he would have been a Marrano Converso, and had severe restrictions on what he could do in society.  In Germany, he would have been an "Untermensch", and subject to deportation to an extermination camp.

It is probably a combination of several factors.

For one, you had the rise of groups like Nation Of Islam.  Since this was a militant Muslim group, it turned a lot of Blacks against people of the Jewish faith.

In addition, unlike most religions Judaism does not endorse "Conversion".  To most Jews, you are born a Jew.  It is very hard to find any Rabbi or synagogue that are interested in accepting "converts", unless the reason is to accept the religion of a new or future spouse.  This has resulted in Jews being probably the most "white" religion.  Blacks who are or become Jewish are very rare.  I can only think of one, and that is Sammy Davis Junior.

Also, the Jewish faith also tends to be one of the most conservative of all religions.  While often embraceing liberal social ideals, the religion itself is very conservative.  Most of the traditions and oral histories go back many thousands of years, and are not going to be changed.  The adheriance to dietary laws, sabbath requirements, and other old beliefs (notice I said "old" and not "antiquated") tends to make outsiders cautious.

Also many blacks (or their parents-grandparents) often have been raised in a Baptist religious environment.  A lot of Baptist groups in the 40's and 50's considered Jews to be the "killers of Jesus".

There is probably not any one reason for this, but a combination of many factors.

Oh, and Alexander Hamilton would have been considered "Jewish" in many areas, including 15th century Spain and Nazi Germany.  In Spain, he would have been a Marrano Converso, and had severe restrictions on what he could do in society.  In Germany, he would have been an "Untermensch", and subject to deportation to an extermination camp.


Yes, Alexander Hamilton was, basically, Jewish. I do know some converts to Judaism. Many of them are people who are disenchanted with the "Christ" aspect of Christianity. It is a difficult process to "convert" to Judaism. According to conservative theory, just by virtue of my having a Jewish mother I'm Jewish, along with my bris. More Jewish than somebody who had neither of these and yet practices far more than I do. Many converts to Judaism are "Jewish revivalists" who have partial Jewish ancestry.

There are other "Jewish blacks", notably Lisa Bonet, Sophie Okonedo, Maya Rudolph, Yaphet Kotto, and Lenny Kravitz, but they have achieved this status via being partially Jewish. There was some article claiming that 500,000 Americans are partially Jewish and part black, but this is FAR too high. It's probably closer to the 40,000-50,000 estimate.