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John U's avatar

34 counts of falsifying business records isn’t a mistake. It’s intentional. Trump, Cohen, AIM CEO and Trump CFO arranged to pay hush money thru Cohen. Then paid twice that amount plus $60K to Cohen so he could claim as income and pay income tax making him whole. Trump Organization coded to legal expense in GL referencing a non existent retainer agreement. No wonder the grand jury voted to indict. Easy for a jury to understand.

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Horace Walpole's avatar

To Liel. Very well put. You didn't quite say it, but the institutions you found lacking were reform? reform and conservative? Am I right? Yet the orthodox ones are, um, too orthodox. Impossible to adjust to. You might also note that the same problem occurs with Christians -- the "old" denominations (Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc.) are more or less "woke" and losing adherents every day; the Evangenicals are a bit TOO fundamental; and the Catholics are....torn in two directions. My experience -- which is limited -- is that what you are looking for, if it exists, is among the "modern orthodox", whom I have found tolerant of my rather casual attitudes and understanding of the need fo joy and communality.

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Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu's avatar

I started my newspaper career as a cub reporter and eventually traded Judaism for journalism in my winding search for truth. After many, many years, I realized that if I am Jewish and Israel is the Jewish home, I can't stay in Galus. You know very well that shuls in Israel are not institutions. You are welcome for Shabbat meals or any other time you wish. Pesach Samayach.

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Lisa's avatar

Liel , you have overlooked an obvious solution. Come home. In Israel there are so many different communities that I’m sure you could find one to fill your needs.

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Carey P Page's avatar

All of your lamentations are suffered each day by we "Conservative Catholics," The increasingly secular world tries really hard to change the conversation. ...with great success. Be strong!

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Ally's avatar

You decry politics from the Bimah and yet you lament the disappearance of reciting the prayer for the state of Israel--a political statement if there ever was one. I guess you and I would never go to the same shul.

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Apr 5, 2023
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Ally's avatar

It is a political statement of support for a country’s governance, even if you don’t agree with everything it does, to say a prayer for a state half way around the world. No other religions ally themselves with a political entity (in this case, a country with lamentable borders and system of undemocratic governance) in that way.

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