A plaque honoring the Jewish community of Nevada County’s Gold Rush population was vandalized with red paint last week. The plaque is located at Nevada City’s Hirschman’s Pond, once part of a hydraulic mine operated by Jewish miner Leb Hirschman in the 1860s and 70s. Chairman of the Nevada County Historical Landmarks Commission Bernie Zimmerman said that the pond endures as “the last remaining readily visible evidence” of the large Jewish community that immigrated to Nevada County during the Gold Rush. The area was registered as a historical landmark in July 2021, and a dedication ceremony was held for the...