A new initiative to improve the portrayal of Jews by in mainstream media has signed its first video game project with popular development platform Roblox.
Glow In The Dark was set up by Australian film producer Michael Weisler, who said that "it is time to get on the offensive" to place Jewish people in a better light in the forum of public opinion. This comes as rising levels of antisemitism across the West – something Weisler aims to combat.
The initiative aims to work across TV, cinema and the online world, producing films, games and other forms of media, giving positive representation to Jewish characters.
The details of the project with Roblox, one of the world’s largest games platforms and particularly popular with children, are yet to be revealed. The platform allows users to curate the in-game world for themselves, with the Glow in the Dark deal expected to focus on developing a new digital experience to be hosted within that world.
Per The Jewish Independent, there are also plans to adapt the eventual game into a film.
Announcing Glow in the Dark’s launch in Australia, Weisler told the outlet: "[Jews] are such good members of society and contribute so much and have such great Australian values, but [are] not represented in our culture, barely at all. So, I feel like it's up to us to change [it].
“I'm confident that when they see us, they’ll say, ‘ah, okay, they’re like us, they’re great Australians and an important part of the fabric of society’.”
While he admitted that it will be a long journey to better the Jewish community's image, given the current struggles it faces, he insisted that strong stories of Jewish positivity hold the power to do so.
He continued: “They don't really know Jewish people and they only have a stereotypical view of Jewish people. So, with Glow in the Dark, it’s really nice to take hold of that narrative and show people who we are.”
To get more news, click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter.