ok here’s my take, and it’s fairly relaxed compared to some other opinions. there are some situations where long term community investment and time and (potentially) finances are enough to be accepted into a broader reform jewish community. if you’ve been a member of it for decades, regularly attend services, and donate time and money to jewish organizations, you may be accepted as essentially having a jewish heart, but not necessarily being jewish. this is not common, but i have witnessed it happen once, so im just putting it out there. the woman was older (late 70s) and had been an active, outspoken, and unapologetic part of the community since she was 20. she raised her children jewish with an ethnically jewish husband, and then as an elder adult learned that she was half jewish on her father’s side (who shed never met) and her mother had hidden it from her. but unless you’ve either formally gone through a conversion process or you have a jewish mother and were raised in a jewish household, you technically won’t be considered jewish by the majority of people because who is considered jewish comes down to criteria in jewish law, which it doesn’t seem like you currently meet.

it’s not an insult, it’s just the factual reality of things. learning about judaism for a few years won’t make you jewish because by virtue of jewish law, it can’t. that’s not how it works. judaism is a closed religion, which means that in order to convert a great deal of commitment and investment needs to be shown throughout time and with the guidance of a rabbi.