A plaque honoring Leb Hirschman and the Jewish Gold Rush Community has finally been installed at Hirschman’s Pond near Nevada City. Nevada County Supervisors passed a resolution back in July of last year. But Bernie Zimmerman, with the County Historical Landmarks Commission, says the delay was due to COVID staffing shortages that delayed the manufacturing of the plaque. Zimmerman says it also clears up a historical error with the pond’s sign…

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Zimmerman says it’s another step from the Commission to bring more recognition of ethnic minorities’ important role in the area’s history. He says Jewish immigrants from Europe were initially attracted by the opportunity to make a fortune. But when they got here, like so many others, they only they discovered was that mining wasn’t going to be profitable enough to make a living…

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Zimmerman says Jewish people also found a refreshing lack of discrimination in this area. A dedication ceremony still hasn’t been scheduled yet, with large gatherings still discouraged, due to the pandemic.