Notre Dame – like many European cathedrals – is an explicit monument to the perceived or hoped-for downfall of the Jewish People and our religion. This great architectural achievement has been the badge of the French Catholic Church since its completion in 1250 CE. They laid the cornerstone in 1164 and during the 86-year construction period, this rising symbol of French Catholicism paralleled a rise in official French antisemitism.
As the Church grew in power, Jewish resistance to conversion remained a thorn in the side of Christianity. Since Jesus himself was Jewish, our nearly universal refusal to convert implied something invidious about us.
Read Full Article »