Era uma vez uma poetisa portuguesa sefardita

Emma Lazarus is a vital part of Lady Liberty's history. Lazarus was born on July 22, 1849, in New York City, into a Portuguese Sephardic Jewish family. She would be best known for her career as a writer, but was also heavily involved in charitable work with refugees and Immigrant Aid Societies in New York City. At Ward's Island, she worked as an aide for Jewish immigrants who had been detained by immigration officials in the 1880s.

In 1883, Lazarus was asked to compose a sonnet for an art and literary auction to raise funds for the construction of the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal. Lazarus, inspired by the plight of the immigrant, wrote "The New Colossus" on November 2, 1883. The sonnet appeared in Joseph Pulitzer's New York World as well as The New York Times.

Emma Lazarus’ famous sonnet depicts Lady Liberty as the "Mother of Exiles:" a symbol of immigration and opportunity - symbols still associated with the Statue of Liberty today. It was not until 1901, 17 years after Lazarus's death, that a book was found containing the sonnet. In 1903, words from the sonnet were inscribed on a plaque (pictured below) and placed on the inner wall of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty.

The plaque is still on display inside the Statue's pedestal, and an exact replica of the plaque can be found inside the new Statue of Liberty Museum.

Fiquei a saber de mais um português notável, até agora não descoberto pelos nossos jornalistas, geralmente sempre atentos a esgravatarem os mídia internacionais. Trata-se de Emma Lazarus, uma portuguesa judia sefardita, poetisa dedicada a causas humanitárias que chegou até mim pela newsletter da Ellis Island Foundation que reproduzo acima. Newsletter que recebi, como recebo regularmente outras desta fundação porque, vale a pena contar, homenageei o meu Avô registando o seu nome no American Immigrant Wall of Honor em Ellis Island por onde ele chegou aos EUA, e todos os emigrantes chegaram no século passado até 1924, fez o ano passado um século, e onde trabalhou alguns anos.