Review: The New Queer Conscience
THe New Queer Conscience by Adam Eli, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky
Category: Young AdultReviewer: Sylvie Shaffer
Adam Eli packs an incredible number of powerful ideas and questions into a pocket-sized package. His central argument, that all Queer folks ( and their allies) are responsible for all LGBTQIAA+ folks, is a reframing of the Talmudic idea that all Jews are commanded to have each others’ backs: “Kol yisrael arevim zeh baZeh” (all of the people of Israel are responsible for each other.) His language is clear, compelling, and accessible, with a tone that lands halfway between “chat over a latte” and “high school debate club” - but in the best possible way. Eli shares personal reflections on his own identify formation, privilege, and activism as a white, queer Jew speaks to teen readers however they self-identify.
The book is a strong contender for the Sydney Taylor Book Award. It would also be an unconventional selection: the winning books in the Teen or Older Reader categories have long-trended towards Historical Fiction, or on occasion, narrative nonfiction (often Holocaust or Holocaust-adjacent.) If the Real Committee were to select Adam Eli’s debut, which meets the criteria with regards to literary merit and authentic and accurate Jewish content, it would bring welcome attention to Eli’s call to action and activism, broadening the book’s audience. Additionally, it would highlight, celebrate, and validate the Queer Jewish experience. Research has long-shown that one in ten people identify somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Said another way: one in every minyan.
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