[This post is the first one of the series that I've read]

I can't tell you what JTS's discussion or reality is. Having recently graduated from another seminary, I can tell you the following for myself: my documented monetary Tzedakah has ranged from 5% of income in those years where starvation was imminent to 20% in those years where that was possible. In kind donations have always been a part of our life as well.

This is more of a "pre-response" than an actual Teshuva (Rabbinic Answer). The numbers are approximate, based on my memory of what I've read and studied.

There are at least three issues involved.

1. You are not allowed to impoverish yourself in the process of worshipping God or fulfilling mitzvot such as Tzedakah.

2. The tax to help the communal infrastructure operate consisted of a minimal poll tax and 10 to 25 percent of income or production, depending on the year. Today this could be realistically split between bankrolling Academic R & D, supporting Jewish R & D, and keeping the poor alive.

3. Translating the agricultural equivalents into the modern business world (although those who are involved in agriculture should retain the original concepts) we should retain a section for scroungers (those who can use our raw materials for their personal use as well as we can for our business use), a lost pile for others to find - specifically of items that have been processed but not packaged (through operator error or machine malfunction) and items that have been packaged but somehow not delivered properly.

A full treatment would go into more detail and cover more business options.

Part of the problem, however, is that there is a difference between "how-to act" documents and teshuvot. A teshuvah requires a question; a "how-to" document "merely" requires a market.

On a couple of other topics you mention:

I'm reading a book by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz; he doesn't let you opt out so easily. He said pretty much word for word that no born Jew can stop being Jewish (despite how "unjewishly" the person may act).

Your stated sentiments towards Jews and Judaism are actually kinder and gentler than many of my connections towards some members I'm biologically related to.