The population explosion in Jewish Eastern Europe in the 19th century brought about a rise in anti-Semitism from which millions chose to flee. With memoirs from the immigrants who lived it, the dream of "Golden America" and its disappointing realities come into focus.

• poignant excerpts from Irwin Howe's World of Our Fathers
• the hardship of the boat journey
• the doctors of Ellis Island - arbiters of who could enter
• landsmanschaftn, HIAS and other aid groups
• anti-Semitism from within the Jewish community

For an in-depth history of the Jewish experience in the U.S. and Canada, please check out "The Golden Land."