Reclaiming the Jewish image through storytelling

Right now, we are witnessing the collapse of a story about the Jewish people.

Across social media, in cities, on campuses, and at dinner tables worldwide, a new narrative has taken hold. Images of suffering Gazans, presented without context or complexity, portray them not just as victims but as victims of the Jew.

This framing erases history and complexity, collapsing a geopolitical tragedy into a single villain the world feels free to condemn.

Repeated relentlessly, devoid of historical perspective, this simplistic narrative saturates the cultural bloodstream. From Melbourne to Paris, London to New York, people who have never met a Jew now instinctively associate us with war, oppression, and bloodshed.

How do we counter that?

I ask this not only as a Jew, but as an Australian working in Hollywood, working at the intersection of identity and image, and knowing just how deeply stories shape the way people see one another.

You cannot fight with facts alone. You cannot reason someone out of an image they did not reason themselves into.

The ancient answer, and the only one still effective, is story.

For millennia, stories have shaped human understanding. Before laws, theology, and states, there were myths. Heroes and tricksters, wounded kings and wandering prophets guided generations in distinguishing good from evil, self from other.

Today’s danger is not simply antisemitism but mythic displacement.

This is not advocacy work. It is the work of modern myth makers. Storytellers, filmmakers, writers, and creators who understand that the ultimate struggle is not for attention but for belonging.

Top Gun never advertised the Navy, but recruitment soared after both films. And aviator Ray-Ban sales went through the roof. It shifted perception through narrative power.

Consider how the LGBTQ+ community reshaped its cultural position through storytelling, with characters in sitcoms and films. Shows like Will & Grace and Modern Family significantly shifted public perception, fostering acceptance and understanding.

And who absorbs these stories?

The quiet middle. People who’ve never marched, never posted, never met a Jew. The teachers in Geelong. The teenagers in Manchester. The small towns of Ohio. Millions who form their views not through argument, but through what they watch and feel.

This moment carries great peril but also profound possibility.

Recognising we are in a mythic battle allows us to respond with purpose rather than panic.

We must tell stories that remind the world, and ourselves, who we truly are: parents, lovers, small business owners, volunteers, builders, rebels, good neighbours.

The Jewish people have always carried stories. From Sinai to Seinfeld, our identity lives through narrative. It is time to carry it again, boldly and visibly, into the heart of modern culture.

And yet, where do Australian Jews sit in the national imagination? What image comes to mind for the average Aussie?

The Australian Jewish community is proudly woven into our national fabric. We’ve embraced Australian values like fairness, mateship, hard work, and irreverent humour, making them our own. From Sir John Monash’s foundational contributions, Ron Castan’s pursuit of justice for First Nations, to Eva Cox AO’s advocacy for equity and inclusion, Jewish Australians have significantly shaped our society.

Then there are the everyday stories of becoming Australian. My grandfather arrived from Vienna via Shanghai. Footy was alien to him; cricket was incomprehensible. Yet he was determined for his son to feel truly Australian. Every Saturday after working at the markets, he’d take my father to the footy, and I can still hear his voice screaming in German whenever Dennis Lillee claimed a wicket.

These stories aren’t just Jewish, they’re distinctly Australian. We’ve helped define what Australia means. Yet, despite generations here and our substantial contributions, we remain largely absent from Australian narratives. Jewish characters rarely appear in films or TV shows and are often reduced to stereotypes or punchlines.

We don’t need special treatment, but we need visibility.

Without representation, we remain culturally peripheral and vulnerable when attitudes shift.

If we do not tell our story, someone else will. And we know where that leads.

The Jewish people have always carried stories. From Sinai to Seinfeld, our identity lives through narrative. It is time to carry it again, boldly and visibly, into the heart of modern culture.

Recognising this urgency, I founded Glow in the Dark. A creative movement dedicated to reshaping how Jews are seen in global culture. We place Jewish identity inside mainstream stories with subtlety and soul. Stories that resonate with audiences in middle America, middle Australia, and beyond.

It’s a movement already supported by prominent voices from Hollywood to Broadway and the heart of the gaming industry.

It’s not about overt messaging or slogans or telling people what to think. It’s about helping them feel something real. Top Gun never advertised the Navy, but recruitment soared after both films. And aviator Ray-Ban sales went through the roof. It shifted perception through narrative power.

That’s the kind of cultural presence Glow in the Dark is working to build for the Jewish people.

One that reshapes how the world sees Jews, not by telling them what to think, but by showing them who we are.

Currently, we’re developing projects with established Hollywood producers, writers, directors, and actors committed to reshaping perceptions through authentic storytelling.

Working within the entertainment and Jewish communities during these turbulent times is powerful precisely because, alongside our mourning, we choose creativity, passion, and hope. We understand this moment is not simply about reaction, it’s about renewal.

Like any movement, we need passionate people along for the ride. If this speaks to you, get in touch. Let’s write the next chapter together.

Michael Weisler is a storyteller, director, producer and editor of film, television, branded content, reality content, TVCs, music videos, and social media. Michael lives in Los Angeles but grew up in Melbourne.