The Statue of Liberty is an iconic symbol of welcome to immigrants throughout the United States and the world. It became a sign of inclusion and acceptance due to the words of a poet, Emma Lazarus, whose immortal lines are inscribed upon its base.
Emma Lazarus was a Jewish woman who lived in the 1800s. She had always loved to write. As a child, she used her fertile imagination to record stories which she loved to share with family and friends. She had a special feeling of warmth toward immigrants, knowing that her family had immigrated, too; because they were Jewish, they had to escape from their homeland and they came to the United States to begin new and better lives. As a young woman, Emma spoke to many of the immigrants who were arriving daily to Wards Island in New York Harbor. She listened with love and caring to their stories of hardship and to their hopes for the future. She helped these immigrants in numerous ways, providing food and clothing and arranging for education and jobs. She fought the misinformation and fear engendered by the media of the day by writing articles in their defense. Her writing helped to ameliorate some of the harsh conditions of their lives.
Emma heard about the Statue of Liberty before it was completed. She was invited to compose a poem that would be inscribed on its base. She envisioned the giant statue as a loving mother welcoming her people home. The poem she wrote was admired and accepted with joy. It inspired waves of immigrants who found their places in a new land and pointed them toward a better future.
An appended author’s note explains more about the Statue of Liberty and what it has meant throughout the years to those seeking freedom. Ann Diament Koffsky shares the story of her grandparents who immigrated to the United States in the 1920s. She explains that the United States is known as a haven for immigrants who seek a new life and a freedom which they have been denied. Photographs of the statue and facts about its design are included. Color illustrations by N. Tarcan evoke a feeling of time and place, enhancing this book and providing a feeling of optimism and hope.
Michal Hoschander Malen is the editor of Jewish Book Council’s young adult and children’s book reviews. A former librarian, she has lectured on topics relating to literacy, run book clubs, and loves to read aloud to her grandchildren.
