American essayist; born March 23, 1846, in New York city, where
she has always resided; daughter of Moses and Esther (Nathan)
Lazarus. The first piece of work to bring her into prominent
notice was the biographical sketch of her sister Emma Lazarus,
which first appeared in "The Century Magazine," Oct., 1888, and
was afterward prefixed to "The Poems of Emma Lazarus" (New York
and Boston, 1889). Between 1890 and 1893 she wrote articles on
"Marie Bashkirtseff" in "Scribner's Magazine," and on "Louise
May Alcott" and "Margaret Fuller" in "The Century Magazine." In
1895 six of her essays on Jewish subjects, which had appeared
from 1892 to 1895 in "The Century Magazine" and "The Jewish
Messenger," were collected and published in book form under the
title "The Spirit of Judaism." The plea addressed to Jews in
these essays is to acquire a larger knowledge of the Jewish
situation, to emerge from their spiritual isolation, and to
enter into fellowship with those among whom they live; and the
plea addressed to Christian