Emma Lazarus

Biography

Emma Lazarus transformed her brilliant mind and compassionate heart into poetry that gave voice to the dreams of immigrants and the promise of a more inclusive nation. Through her essays, sonnets, and especially the lines of “The New Colossus,” she challenged her contemporaries to see liberty as a refuge for the tired and the hopeful.

Buried in Beth Olam Cemetery, her words continue to welcome new generations and to remind the world that compassion and courage can shine through even the most daunting waves of change.