Emma's Torch Information

For refugees coming to America, one of the hardest parts of the transition can be finding a new job, particularly one that is the starting point of a meaningful career. A job is important for more than a paycheck: it is a chance to meet new people, practice language skills, and find a sense of fulfillment and self-worth. Enter Emma’s Torch, a non-profit social enterprise. Our mission is to train refugees, asylees, and survivors of human trafficking in the culinary arts and to empower them to build meaningful careers in the culinary industry. Our students participate in a full-time paid culinary training program that prepares them for successful employment in an industry in which their heritage and cuisine can be celebrated. We provide a community in which they can build supportive relationships. Founded in 2016, we opened our first permanent restaurant location in Brooklyn in 2018. This restaurant has cemented Emma’s Torch as a Brooklyn community institution. It has received recognition from outlets such as the New Yorker, The New York Times, The Today Show, CNN, and The Guardian, among many others. We have since expanded our footprint in New York: we operate the cafe at the Brooklyn Public Library, serve as a food vendor at Citi Field, and run a catering business. As of 2022, we have also been piloting our program in the Washington, DC area. Emma’s Torch honors Emma Lazarus, a staunch advocate for refugee rights whose poem, “The New Colossus,” adorns the Statue of Liberty.