About This Piece

In this, our first Jewish& comics piece, Luce Rochwerger illustrates scenes from their life, including their immigration to the United States, their struggle to be understood by others, their embrace of their multifaceted identity, and their transition thus far.

“I’ve been drawing all my life,” Rochwerger said in a recent interview. “It’s the one thing that I’ve consistently gone to when I felt bad or in a low place. When I was deciding what to do with my life, I knew I needed to do art because it’s what really makes me feel fulfilled.”

Born in Buenos Aires to Argentinian Jewish parents, Rochwerger moved with their family to Florida when they were an infant. They attended Hebrew school at a Reform synagogue in Boca Raton and celebrated a B’nai Mitzvah. Now 22 and a recent graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design, Rochwerger identifies as “a proud transgender, Latinx Jew” (who uses they/them pronouns).

“Being transgender has definitely affected how I look at Judaism, how I look at Argentina, basically everything in my life,” they said. “As terrifying as it can be to be trans in this world, I’m ultimately grateful for what it’s taught me. I hope others can see that it’s okay to be trans, beautiful even. It’s just like any other part of someone’s identity.”

In the future, Rochwerger said they plan to use their talents to raise awareness about LGBTQ issues and build community.

“Sometimes we look at people who are different from us, like trans people or immigrants or even other Jewish people, and we judge them or we make assumptions,” they said. “Having a platform to express who I am and what I went through can be very important. Hopefully I can open up other peoples’ minds and encourage them to be more empathetic toward each other.”

— Team Be’chol Lashon