Fighting Antisemitism in Gaming

By Shir Shani, Adi Goldston & Noam Cohen

When we talk about antisemitism online, most people think of social media. But there is another space where it thrives, one that often receives far less attention: the gaming world.

A study by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) found that on Steam, one of the largest gaming communities in the world, there are over 1.8 million pieces of extremist content, including explicit antisemitic material.

This past September, we had the privilege of taking part in the GameChangers program by the ADIR Foundation, created to address exactly this challenge and to combat antisemitism within the gaming space.

As part of the program, we traveled to New York to participate in a special hackathon at NYU, where we worked alongside American university and high school students to develop AI-based solutions for identifying and countering antisemitism in gaming.

Throughout the day we brainstormed, met mentors from leading tech companies such as Base44 and Google, built an MVP prototype, and presented our projects in a final competition before senior industry judges.

We were thrilled when our efforts paid off, as Shir Shani’s team won second place and Noam Cohen’s team took third place.

Before the hackathon, we participated in preparatory workshops at Base44 and Decart, where we learned about the history of antisemitism, its evolution after October 7th, and the human rights risks within the gaming industry, as well as how technology can help address these challenges.

The hackathon experience reminded us how much antisemitism changes its form over time, now spreading even into spaces that rarely receive attention, such as gaming. Working with the American students showed us how collaboration across cultures and backgrounds can become a true strength when united around a common goal to create a safer and more inclusive gaming environment.

The ADIR Foundation was established in memory of Adir Mesika Z”L, who was murdered on October 7th while saving his girlfriend and friends. His motto was “Give me a problem and I’ll know how to solve it.”