I grew up in JoCo, no Jewish kids in my elementary school class (1 lebenese, 1 half black). High school was a little more diverse, probably 5% black, 5% Asian including all asian, and maybe 10 Jewish kids out of 315. Then I went to KSU.
I knew nothing of Jewish persecution other than what was taught about the Holocaust in school. Read "The Chosen" freshman year HS and it may have well been about aliens.
I married a Jewish girl, though she stopped practicing shortly after her Bat Mitzvah. People casually say mumped up anti-Semitic crap constantly. Without thinking of it.