digitalhistory.uh.edu
Nextbook Press just introduced a wonderful interactive version of Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus.” The tool provides background on allusions and does an excellent job of marrying technology to a sonnet written in 1883. When I clicked on “huddled masses,” a blip about Lazarus’ work with Russian immigrants appeared. It talked about Lazarus’ work at “the Hebrew Emigrant Aid Society at 105 East Broadway, where she helped train refugees and she also taught English.”
Reading about Lazarus’ devotion to Russian immigrants made me think about my day in school today. One of my students was asking about my background, particularly wondering from where in Europe my family came. He assumed England or Scotland (kind of amusing because I have no Anglo features), so when I told him Russia and the Ukraine, he was mildly shocked. He didn’t connect Russian ancestry to Jewish ancestry, but for me (and many others), the two go hand-in-hand.
My Bubie’s family hales from Kiev. Sometimes my Bubie shares stories her mother would tell her of the Old Country. During Passover last year, she shared a bunch of stories about continued practices in America. She focused a lot on her parents’ attempt to re-create daily life in Kiev here in Philadelphia. We talked for a long time, mostly her sharing and me commenting. Her stories and my rereading of “The New Colossus” remind me a lot of JPS’ book 36 Letters. 36 Letters tells the story of one couple as they experience courtship and immigration. The book is amazingly detailed, yet familiar for readers with similar family histories.
As the country celebrates the Statue of Liberty’s 125th anniversary, spend time with not only “The New Colossus” and Joan Sohn’s 36 Letters, but also stories of your own family’s immigration to America.
