It seems like every week or so another celebrity gets in trouble for saying something on social media that’s either definitely, possibly, potentially, almost, or not really antisemitic. Each time this happens, many friends in the JGSI universe ask me for my thoughts.

In general, while I believe that we Jews have an obligation to stand up for ourselves, I also believe that we are doing our community a disservice when we reflexively pounce on anyone who says something ridiculous or ignorant. That isn’t going to make antisemitism disappear, and will probably make the problem even worse.

So I admit being torn about rapper Cardi B’s recent tweet insinuating that her legal victories were thanks to her Jewish lawyers, causing the hashtag "lawyer is a Jew" to trend.

On the one hand, conspiracy theories that Jews control the world are hurtful to our community and put us in an increasingly vulnerable place. But on the other hand, as CEO of a nonprofit whose constituency includes thousands of Jewish lawyers and law students, I know first hand that indeed there are a lot of us! At one point we were 2% of the population and ⅓ of the Supreme Court. Is that too many?

A better question is: why are there so many Jewish lawyers?

There are many complex historical and sociological reasons why young Jews keep applying to law school in droves and perpetuating this stereotype. But one thing we already know about the Jewish People is that the pursuit of justice is baked into our culture. The Jewish tradition represents thousands of years of law, debate, interpretation, and standing up for the underdog– all crucial skills for any lawyer to develop.

Today, too many young Jews lack exposure to these rich traditions. Which is why JGSI conducts Jewish programming at more than 80 law schools across North America, cultivating the next generation of lawyers who are informed and passionate about Jewish values and ethics.

I am so proud of our Jewish lawyers and law students. If anything, our world needs more of them!

Let’s take this #lawyerisajew hashtag and own it. Let’s make it a badge of honor, leading by example and showing Cardi B. and everyone else out there that we are a people of truth, ethics, and justice. Now that’s fighting antisemitism!