Set in the early 1900s, Hester Street focuses on the experiences of an immigrant family as they attempt to assimilate to their new life in New York City.  Gitl (Carol Kane) has just arrived in America from Russia with her son in order to be with her husband, Jake (Steven Keats), who has been in the States for some time.  The couple clashes as Gitle struggles to adapt while Jake has already fully embraced life in America.