What are some criticisms of Judaism as a religion that are not purely Anti-Semitic like the blood libels are?

Answer 1

A number of major objections that people have towards Judaism are actually not what Jews believe but are based on Anti-Semitic publications like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion or Blood Libels. Actual issues with Jewish theology are often the same as those for Christianity when they are sourced in the Old Testament, but Judaism has its own issues that operate separate of Christianity and based in what Jews, specifically Orthodox Jews, believe:

1. Judaism is claimed to be sexist, holding that women are responsible for maintaining a job, taking care of the kids, providing a roof, etc. and that men should be primarily studying Jewish Law that women should not study.
2. Friendships for generations can fall to the wayside over what some would claim are minor matters. For example, if a Cohen marries a convert he loses his Cohen status and most of his friends will see that as a betrayal to "being a Cohen". Heresy can lead to Kherem or Excommunication, which results in the person losing all the community they could ever know. (Spinoza was a victim of Kherem, but he also had Christian friends in Amsterdam.)
3. Insistence on traditions being valued for only being tradition. For example, Orthodox Jews will run water over their hands in the morning even though there is no textual reference in the Torah. The source for this is in the Talmud (Shabbat 108b).
4. Avoiding contact with Non-Jews and, in many cases, Liberal Jews. They may avoid having conversations outside of work or build friendships with people outside of the community, except if there is (1) a likelihood that they could join the Orthodox Jewish world or (2) they may be able to confer some benefit to the Orthodox Jews (like political groups or ecumenicism).
5. Poor education is a huge problem in the more Hasidic groups where Torah and Talmud are taught to the exclusion of useful subjects like math or science or secular history, resulting in people poorly equipped to fend for themselves if they were to ever leave the community. (This is not an issue with Modern Orthodox, since they value both a Jewish and Western education.)
6. Divinely-Granted real estate in Israel and all that causes in terms of violence and ethnic/religious supremacism.
7. Circumcision, Animal Slaughter Requirements, etc. to the extent that they violate Liberal understandings of human and animal cruelty.
8. The issue of the Agunah, which is the idea that a Jewish husband can refuse to divorce his wife and she will be unable to conclude a divorce without his permission, making her effectively tied to him and unable to marry within the Jewish community.

Answer 2

For traditional Jews, there need be no criticisms of Judaism. You either accept it as a whole, or you do not. You either understand the laws as stemming from Divine wisdom, or you see them as superstitions. If you see the Torah as God-given, then millions of examples of its depth and beauty present themselves to you as you study it. This is the system of the Talmud and midrashim.

If not, then every verse and quote can be ridiculed as being incompatible with your thoughts and values; values which change unpredictably from one generation to another.

Everyone has free choice (Deuteronomy 30:15-20). Thousands of irreligious Jews return each year to their roots, while some others leave their roots.

Judaism needs to apologize to no one. It gave the world ethical monotheism, including rights for orphans, widows, children and others, who in certain societies were and are abused wholesale.

It gave the Western world many of its values, including social justice.

It pioneered in women's rights.

It made its contribution to democracy.

It pioneered in outlawing cruelty to animals.

Religious Judaism has fewer instances of broken homes, insanity, depression, drug misuse, teen pregnancies, and other forms of social malaise, than does the irreligious Jewish community or the world at large.

See also:

Judaism's benefits