AFAIK the first pogrom was in Hellenistic Alexandria while it was still largely a pagan city.
Jews, as long as they remained Jews, were always going to be "the Other" and a target of more or less restrained hatred.
Yeah, I toyed with the idea of playing some vanilla since 1.08 seems to have fixed some of the more glaring issues, but in the end I've decided to wait for new versions of GoT mod and CK+ instead.
About the Polish Vasas: In 1600, before the Times of Troubles, there was a Polish-Lithuanian diplomatic mission to Moscow offering a "Survival Pact" between Boris Godunov and Sigismund Vasa (the one who lived longer would inherit from the other). Of course, there was small issue of P-L crown...
No option for Kievan Rus?
It was an oppressive state openly discriminating non-Russians and largely impoverished, ignorant population. I don't see the appeal.
You realize that the rulers of about half of eastern/central Europe were much closer "descendants of Rurikidis" than Capetians? That was only a single marriage while marriage pacts with neighbors were much more common.