Joe emails: “Hey, I was wondering. Can I join Reform Judaism and Also be considered a “real” jew, only to join the Reform Synagogue to study the Torah and go threw the conversion process to learn, BUT NOT agree with them about same-sex marrige or not keeping kosher ect. I will keep kosher, and Study, I’m very devout. But you see it is not my fault for joining them, im 17 and there is absolutaly NO other Jewish Synagogue within 150miles. I wan’t to be Orthodox or Modern Orthodox, but as I said there is NO synagogue within driving distance…..it’s a mess.”
Sure. That’s a fine way to start. That’s what I did. And when you live next to an Orthodox synagogue, you can convert Orthodox and then all Jews will consider you Jewish. If you do a Reform conversion, non-Orthodox Jews will usually consider you Jewish and even many Orthodox Jews will consider you socially Jewish, if not halachicly Jewish.
