SAY YOUR PRAYERS
Shell, Schneid appeal to higher power
Ex-Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman are finding religion in these dark days of personal disgrace. A “broken” Silver (above) sat silent and alone, head buried in a prayer book, at his synagogue the day after his Friday corruption conviction. Meanwhile, the ex-AG (left), who resigned Monday after four women accused him of abuse and assault, is leaning on his Buddhist beliefs for inner peace, a friend said.
Former state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman skipped town, and the Buddha buff is likely meditating amid allegations he abused and assaulted four women, a friend says.
Schneiderman is namaste-ying out of the spotlight and left the city on Thursday to take a night or more “just to chill and just to gett some country” with a close male pal, accordingg to the friend, who spoke to the embattled Democrat in the days after his shocking Monday resignation.
“He’s doing some selfreflecting,” the friend said, calling it a “given” that the self-described “Jew--Bu” — or Jewish Buddhistt — is meditating during this personal crisis.
“He meditates. He goes on retreats,” the friend said. “I think he soughtought Buddhism to alleviateviate internal pain.”
Schneiderman regularly attends services at the B’nai Jeshurunun synagogue in his Upper West Side neighborhood, but officials there on Saturday said they had not seen him this past week.
Friends say Schneiderman, 63, is Jewishsh but also embraces Buddhistud philosophy and thee benefits of meditation.
Schneiderman’s friend said “he sounded OK, focused and sober,” when they spoke this week.
“I think this will all serve to help him grow and evolve,” the friend said.
Schneiderman resigned from office hours after The New Yorker published allegations that he assaulted three ex-girlfriends and a woman who spurned his advances.
He has insisted he never had “nonconsensual sex” or “assaulted anyone” but said he partook in “roleplaying and other consensual sexual activity.”
Two of his exes went on the record to describe the alleged abuse, claiming Schneiderman would get drunk and attack them during sex.
As New York political insiders plotted over how to replace him, Schneiderman was holed up ear- lier in the week with people “who love him no matter what,” the friend said.
His ex-wife, Jennifer Cunningham, and their daughter, Catherine, were part of the support group.
“He hasn’t been alone too much,” the friend said. “No one has let him be alone.”
Schneiderman didn’t return a message seeking comment.