Suffering persecution, Russian Jews Nathan Levinsky, his wife, Esther, and his son, David, escape their homeland for the United States, where Nathan ekes out a feeble existence as a peddler. Esther despairs of her life and leaves Nathan for Max Levy, but reverses cause her to allow David to be adopted by the wealthy Danvers family. Some years later, Nathan prospers on a small California ranch, which adjoins the larger ranch of John Comstock. Comstock makes no secret of his dislike for Jews, yet he unknowingly approves when his daughter, Helen, falls in love with the Danvers' adopted son, Jimmy, whom Nathan secretly recognizes as David. Nathan loses everything in a fire, goes to San Francisco to begin anew, and is reunited with a contrite Esther. Jimmy learns the truth about his parentage and goes to San Francisco to search for Nathan; Helen and Comstock follow, and Helen disappears. Nathan saves Helen from disgrace at the hands of Max Levy, and gratitude prompts Comstock to sanction Helen's marriage to Jimmy.