Even more popular than Zionism as a solution to the plight of Eastern European Jewry was the dream of "Golden America." A mass immigration to the American shores ensued, but the Jews were not received with open arms. Between the public schools and the movie industry, the message of assimilation was pounded into the Jews. And to a very large extent, it was so successful that generations of American Jews have lost touch with their heritage, causing religious and cultural damage from which we struggle to overcome today.