Here is a sample.... summarizes what we have been talking about. And no doubt the Jewish orthodoxy use this fear to keep their followers within their faith.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBToCXWqvLU
Did you notice he said “Christians” vs “Catholics” at the very beginning? I’m only a minute in, but he didn’t say Catholics yet.
I’m only 6 or 7 minutes in to his talk, and I just want to reiterate that he has said many times over that he was taught that the Jewish people were being persecuted by Christians. He says it over and over. Not once has he said that Jews were persecuted by Catholics.
His story so far is very compelling, and it’s interesting to me that he never read any of the Old Testament beyond his bar mitzvah. Maybe he didn’t continue going to Temple?
As you say, perhaps the Jewish people as a means of preserving their lineage, have passed on this idea that they were being persecuted by Christians.
One of my son’s good friends is Jewish, and he was about to celebrate Hanukkah last year (he is married to a sweet Protestant girl, though I don’t know which denomination she practices), and I asked him if his family really does more of a true celebration during Purim. He said, why yes, and was surprised that I’d even heard of it. Now I realize there aren’t many Catholics who haven’t studied the Old Testament the way I have, and I’m no scholar. I do think it’s wonderful to learn about the Jewish faith because it gives light to my own.