Post History

As a Noachide wanting to convert to Judaism you are already on a journey.  Such journeys are by their nature incremental, so even though your end goal isn't currently available to you, you might be able to get some intermediate improvements.  Community is central to Judaism and it sounds like that's a step you're looking to take.

You can become involved with the community that is available to you and defer the decision about what to do about conversion.  Especially in Reform, where intermarriage is common and the non-Jewish partners are part of the community, nobody is going to question your right to be there.  "I'm considering conversion" is all you need to say about your status to other congregants.

Conversion to Judaism (in any movement) is a long process.  The convert is expected to learn enough to make an informed decision and to start living as a Jew as much as possible.  It is *expected* that not all who start the process will finish.  If you decide you want to start the process (there might be formal courses and rabbinic counseling), be honest with the rabbi about your intentions and see what the rabbi says.

As a non-Jew there are a very few things you are not permitted to do.  Those limitations might not be all that important to you (do you mind not being able to accept a torah honor like an *aliyah*?) or might be worked around (for example, per *halacha* you aren't permitted to *fully* keep Shabbat, but your rabbi can suggest something you can do to satisfy that without disrupting the holiness of the day for you).

If you do convert through the Reform movement, know that in the eyes of Orthodox Jews you are still a non-Jew and would need to convert through their process.  I've heard of a few people who have done that -- started with a liberal movement, later realized that wasn't the right place for them, and converted Orthodox -- so this is not unheard-of.  You might learn some things from the Reform movement that you'll have to "unlearn" or adjust later, so do be aware of that -- but this is why the conversion process is long for Orthodox too.

A philosophy I've often heard expressed is that it is better to be a non-Jew than a sinning Jew -- if you aren't able to commit, then don't convert.  Becoming part of a Jewish community does not require conversion.  And you don't need to decide everything at the beginning.  So you can go, explore, see what opportunities there are for you to connect with people and learn, and then decide what to do.