Jews, do you believe belief itself is not a requirement?

Your friend is a wise person, a faithfull one as well, be happy you've met her, I agree !

I'm sorry to say this, but that's not true. In Judaism, it's actually highly central and integral to the whole system that you believe in the G-d of the religion. I would have thought that that's what makes sense (because how could anyone follow a religion with a full heart if they can't even believe in the most central part of the whole thing...), but hey, to each his own. There are tons of commandments in the Torah that require belief in G-d. For one, there is the commandment to believe that G-d is the one and only god. Then there's also the commandment to love G-d, and the commandment to fear G-d. But aside from all of these there actually *is* a commandment in the Torah to know(/believe in) G-d. It's in Exodus.

Judaism is about living life the way it was meant to be lived. And Judaism believes that there is a G-d who created the world etc. and therefore knows exactly how it works and what the best way for people to live is. And therefore, if we want to live the right way, we look to the word of this G-d who knows best. You see how without G-d the whole reason to keep the religion shatters?

Another place your friend got it wrong is in this - Judaism is not a standard of ethics and compassion. It's just not. It's a detailed direction manual to practically every aspect of life you can think of. And of course that means that it also pans the areas of morality and interpersonal behaviors, but to say that it's limited to that is just foolish. Aside from the fact that there are commandments that require Jews to believe in G-d, it would be impossible to keep the religion without it. Who would circumcise their kid if they didn't even believe in G-d? What woman would refuse to wear short sleeves in the summer if she didn't even believe in G-d? I'm blanking right now so forgive me if my examples aren't the most classic, but the point is that the religion is hard to keep in many ways and if you don't believe in it you're not going to be able to keep it. That's the real truth.

PS. Non-Jewish people also have to believe in G-d. And then they also have 6 other commandments, and those are simple moral things. But still, although those 6 are action things, they still have the commandment to believe.

Yes. There is no contradiction in terms when you refer to an "Atheist Jew". I don't believe in a God. But I am Jewish, I still keep a lot of traditional stuff - e.g. Separate meat and milk cutlery and crockery, all my meat is from a Kosher butcher.

However, I don't object to praying with a congregation but rarely go voluntarily. There is a daily service at my place of work and I go if they need people to make up a "minyan" (10 males over the age of 13) as I can follow a service in Hebrew. I only to go to Synagogue if my parents force me (and for weddings).

There is no hell in Judaism to begin with so nobody is really "condemned".

You watch too much House.