Hi Josef!
First of all, I do not feel qualified to answer your questions - and from what I learned so far, probably only you can do so. But since I am also feeling drawn to Judaism, I wanted to share some ressources, some of which were recommended to me here, that made doing the soul-searching that is needed to find your own way a bit easier for me.
There are some excellent books by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin on a variety of topics regarding Judaism. As someone with a limited background on Judaism, they were a good starting point for me. There is a book on Jewish literacy, one on Ethics, and among others, one that I particularly enjoyed as a day-to-day source of suggestions for guidance and ethical behavior. There are more, maybe you find others helpful, too!
It can also be really helpful to contact local synagogues and join their services. It is an on-off thing for me due to current health limitations, but nevertheless, I feel inspired and also enjoy connecting with others. I had to chuckle at your girlfriend's comment on "the urge to pee", for me, the urge to somehow connect with others together in some kind of gratitude could be described similarly. Services do that for me. Synagogues often also have some introductory classes to Judaism. If you identified a synagogue where you feel comfortable in, you might ask them if you could join. You do not always need to actively seek conversion for that - sometimes, it is also possible to attend if you just want to learn more, which might be a good starting point. Some communities might want only prospective converts and some might even have waiting lists, so your mileage may vary.
Regarding the different denominations, you most likely might encounter Orthodox, Conservative/Masorti and Reform. There is also Reconstructionist, but from what I've gathered, this is much more common in the US. A good starting point could just be to google jewish communities and your location, there might be an overview listing the different synagogues and their denomination.
It seems you are in a good position to start your journey of getting to know Judaism, especially if your region has a sizeable Jewish community.
It is very likely that no one, not even the Rabbi you might talk to, will tell you if Judaism is a good choice for you. But it is likely that they just encourage you to learn more. You don't need to decide on anything, especially not at a point where you are just starting to discover everything.
I wish you all the best!
First of all, I do not feel qualified to answer your questions - and from what I learned so far, probably only you can do so. But since I am also feeling drawn to Judaism, I wanted to share some ressources, some of which were recommended to me here, that made doing the soul-searching that is needed to find your own way a bit easier for me.
There are some excellent books by Rabbi Joseph Telushkin on a variety of topics regarding Judaism. As someone with a limited background on Judaism, they were a good starting point for me. There is a book on Jewish literacy, one on Ethics, and among others, one that I particularly enjoyed as a day-to-day source of suggestions for guidance and ethical behavior. There are more, maybe you find others helpful, too!
It can also be really helpful to contact local synagogues and join their services. It is an on-off thing for me due to current health limitations, but nevertheless, I feel inspired and also enjoy connecting with others. I had to chuckle at your girlfriend's comment on "the urge to pee", for me, the urge to somehow connect with others together in some kind of gratitude could be described similarly. Services do that for me. Synagogues often also have some introductory classes to Judaism. If you identified a synagogue where you feel comfortable in, you might ask them if you could join. You do not always need to actively seek conversion for that - sometimes, it is also possible to attend if you just want to learn more, which might be a good starting point. Some communities might want only prospective converts and some might even have waiting lists, so your mileage may vary.
Regarding the different denominations, you most likely might encounter Orthodox, Conservative/Masorti and Reform. There is also Reconstructionist, but from what I've gathered, this is much more common in the US. A good starting point could just be to google jewish communities and your location, there might be an overview listing the different synagogues and their denomination.
It seems you are in a good position to start your journey of getting to know Judaism, especially if your region has a sizeable Jewish community.
It is very likely that no one, not even the Rabbi you might talk to, will tell you if Judaism is a good choice for you. But it is likely that they just encourage you to learn more. You don't need to decide on anything, especially not at a point where you are just starting to discover everything.
I wish you all the best!