Emma Lazarus Poster & Resources

Learn more about Emma Lazarus, America’s own Mother of Exiles!

Grade Span: 4-6

Themes

Emma Lazarus epitomized the Jewish value of welcoming the stranger. Through her art and activism, she worked on behalf of communities who otherwise were met with fear and suspicion. Her legacy is of someone who dedicated her life to making a more open, inclusive, and accepting society.

• Welcoming the stranger
• Championing immigrants
• Promoting social justice

About

Born in New York, NY, Emma Lazarus (1849-1887) was a poet whose words have become synonymous with the yearning for freedom and opportunity of countless immigrants to the United States. She was a descendent of the first Jewish settlers to North America, who arrived after fleeing persecution in Brazil, and who themselves were descendants of Sephardic Jews who had fled antisemitism in Portugal. As an activist, she focused her efforts on aiding refugees seeking security from antisemitism and oppression. Her poem, “The New Colossus” was added to the Statue of Liberty in 1903, becoming a beacon of hope for countless immigrants yearning for a better life.

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