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In part 2, Schwab and Yael explore how Emma Lazarus transformed the Statue of Liberty into a symbol of immigration. As Russian Jewish refugees arrived in New York, the privileged Sephardic poet left literary salons for Ward’s Island, fought antisemitism, advocated for Jewish self determination, and wrote “The New Colossus.” They explore her famous words added to the statue only years after her death, reshaping Lady Liberty’s meaning and America’s national identity.
The New Colossus
Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
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And if you missed the first episode in the series, please check out The First Jews in the Americas: Fleeing the Inquisition. Emma Lazarus’ family was part of the first wave of Jews to the Americas.
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Unpacking Israeli History
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