While I dig many aspects of Judaism, there are difficulties too. I feel many Jewish people are defensive about Israel, but I am personally critical of the rhetoric and actions of the government. There are also some laws of Kashrut (meat + diary = no) I find at odds with my existing cultural practice (middle eastern) of which I identify with and appreciate (cucumber mint yogurt dip + rice + kabob or meat stew--if a holy trinity exists, it's that). But more importantly I do not find the rabbinic interpretation and reasoning to be sensible (do not cook a kid in its mother's milk = no meat with dairy).
More broadly, given my own temperament and what I've learned from modern scholarship, my theological predisposition is both mystical and liberal. Frankly I think religions are probably true more in the way fiction can be true than how journalism or history can be true. It is a special type of fiction that orients us to the highest and deepest realities. Having said that I'm not opposed to there being historical basis to various stories or with the existence of grand miracles etc. I just have my doubts about various claims and stories given what I've learned over the years from modern scholarship across the pertinent fields.
So if I were to be Jewish and label myself, I'd likely be a Neo-Hasidic Reform except I don't like guitars or modern instruments in synagogue lol (always found it a little cringe). I actually would probably really enjoy Orthodox service and prefer it, but my theology just wouldn't align with theirs. Even if I decide to follow all Halacha as it exists today, which I'm not necessarily opposed to, my reasons for doing so would be different than their reason for doing so.
I don't know if these points are really big issues in themselves, but it strikes me as odd to go through a lengthy conversion process in order to not quite fit in within any particular Jewish branch or community or to start picking and choosing what Halacha I find valid and the potential slippery slope of that. But perhaps this is the reality of many Jews, and I'd fit right in. In any case, I find the idea of just being a Noachide and following Judaism in an idiosyncratic way to be unappealing. All of this is made more difficult given I currently live away from any Jewish community. I met a few Jewish friends at my first college, but since then I have not any opportunities to make any more.
