The Temple is that thing in Jerusalem that was destroyed in 70 AD. I'm guessing this was not an Orthodox or Conservative congregation. (My place calls itself a synagogue. Talk there after Trump's Jerusalem announcement was overwhelmingly positive. )
ML/NJ
Do Jews have words to differentiate themselves from each other based on degree of Orthodoxy? I probably need to know them if they do.
I know officially there was only one Temple in Jerusalem. I got around to reading what I believe is Josephus' description of the Temple and the destruction of Jerusalem. The temple was faced with gold on three sides, and you can imagine what it must have looked like when the sun shone on it.
My friends were pro-Israel as I've been a zealous supporter of Israel since my youth, in part due to books and movies (Leon Uris for example) until I met a FReeper years ago who claimed to be a Russian (don't remember his name) who pointed me in to how wealthy NY Jews celebrated the eve of the revolution. Especially Jacob Schiff who also used his wealth to finance the Japanese war with Russia on the Eastern side. They despised the czar, formed a group called Friends of Russian Freedom. It's all archived or was in the NYT. I will admit I have been upset ever since about their role in murdering the czar and family and communist Russia. But there are two sides to everything, and we can't talk freely and objectively about it..
I didn't know I was supporting Zionism and still not sure what their agenda is other than preserving Israel as a nation which has as much right to exist as the US imo. I just don't like getting into wars with nations such as Iraq and Syria or even Iran who are more of a threat to Israel than they were to us (until armed with long-range missiles and nukes). Saddam launched several scud missiles on Israel during Desert Storm One.
That's why the nations resent us because we favor Israel in our foreign policy until Obama perhaps, maybe some other administrations.
I've taken on holocaust deniers and it's hard to defend now when so many witnesses are dead and other factors. But how can anyone believe they are all lying about it or in some conspiracy? It doesn't make sense even if you know most (not all) are against us politically about abortion and gun rights for example. And our religious beliefs for those of us who are Christians.