I am a cradle Catholic with a two-fold introduction to Judaism. First is when the good Sisters, in my religious education class, went through a time when they were emphasizing the Jewish origins of Christianity. The second occurred about the same time, when one of my Dad's patients gave him a recording of "How To Be A Jewish Mother." This was an adaptation of the book by Dan Greenburg, with Gertrude Berg playing the part of the Jewish Mother. My Dad took these lessons to heart, and it was always a big debate in our family: Did Jewish guilt originate with Judaism, or was it a gift by the Irish to the Jewish people? (I personally believe it was a gift by the Irish to the Jews, who took this basic heavy-handed Irish guilt and turned it into the lovingly hand-crafted Jewish guilt we all know and cringe from today.)
My interest in Judaism remained in the background for years, but came to the forefront a couple of years ago, due to my research into the violent traditions of Islam. (I was trying to figure out why Christianity and Judaism produce people that everyone recognizes as educated and peaceful saints, but nowhere in Islam could I find anyone like Dr. Martin Luther King who preached and lived lives of non-violence.) This in turn lead me to Christian Zionism and a belief in the Words of G_D to Israel: I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.
So, Shalom Aleichem to you all!