How do you tell the difference between curiosity and something deeper when exploring Judaism?
Hi, I’m new to posting so I hope this is the right place for this.
I’m not Jewish, nor do I have any Jewish connections in the community. I’ve just been learning and observing from a distance over the past while (reading, watching services online, and trying to understand more about the traditions and community).
I keep finding myself really drawn in emotionally, especially to things like Shabbat, communal prayer, and the idea of learning and discussion being part of religious life.
For context, I grew up in a Catholic family, and in my teenage years really drifted apart from the idea of organized religion. When I moved away from home though, I found I missed it, but Catholicism never felt right. I researched a few religions, and landed on Judaism. I know it's more closed than most, especially out of the Abrahamic religions, but it resonated with me more than any of the others I looked into. I've been just casually learning on my own for a while now, and I keep coming back to it rather frequently.
My question is: for people who have explored Judaism seriously (whether they ended up converting or not), how did you tell the difference between:
- “this is really interesting and meaningful to me” vs
- “this is something I want to actually pursue more deeply and formally”?
Did it feel like a clear shift, or more gradual over time?
I’d really appreciate hearing people’s experiences and perspectives. Thank you!