Assalamu Alaikum - Where I’m At on My Spiritual Path

Assalamu Alaikum brothers and sisters. I was raised in a religious Jewish household with kosher practices, and recently I wanted to learn about Muslims beyond what my community had told me. A few months ago I met some Muslim brothers and sisters online and Mashallah they were among the kindest, most compassionate people I’ve known. They shared their faith and customs with me, and I could relate to some things since Judaism and Islam share similar practices (and Hebrew and Arabic being Semitic helped me pick up a few words). I’ve been in a rough patch and often felt disconnected when I called out to Hashem. I didn’t feel firmly rooted in my Jewish practice anymore - I lost interest in keeping the Sabbath and felt limited by some observances. So I decided to learn more about Islam. I started reading the Quran and at first some surahs felt hard to understand, so I asked trusted Muslim friends to help explain. Over the months, when I was struggling and my faith was shaky, I turned back to the Qur’an, sunnah, and hadith. As I tried to follow some teachings - cutting out swear words, spending time mostly with my own gender, dressing more modestly, lowering my gaze, showing respect, and trying to be peaceful - I noticed a real change. Islam gave me calm when my mind was chaotic. I had small moments that felt significant, like once when I was sitting outside trying to learn Arabic and a Muslim brother from Nigeria sat with me and helped me practice the Qur’an for a couple hours. I also grew closer to a Muslim sister I know and asked her about her culture. Gradually I felt closer to Allah (SWT) and more accepting of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). I’m not ready to say the shahada yet - becoming Muslim is a big step and I’m not prepared for the life changes or for how to tell my conservative Jewish family. The idea of wearing hijab and marrying a Muslim man appeals to me though. Also, because I was raised Jewish I didn’t have a positive view of Isa (peace be upon him) growing up, so I’m still learning his story so I can truly accept the Qur’an’s account. Right now I’ve been watching Qur’an lessons daily, doing more good deeds like giving charity and being kind, and sometimes falling asleep listening to recitation. I hope Allah accepts my efforts and knows my intention - even though I feel like I’m “betraying” my original faith, my aim is to seek the truth and do what’s right. Jazakum Allahu khayran for reading and any guidance or dua would mean a lot to me.