Dr. Robert E. Levinson z"l, the author of "The Jews in the California Gold Rush," documented the abandoned pioneer Jewish cemeteries in the Gold Country of northern California. 

The Commission was founded in 1962 by Seymour Fromer z"l, co-founder of the Judah L. Magnes Museum, in response to the deteriorating state of many of these cemeteries.

Stephen Zellerbach z"l was Chairman of the Commission from 1966 until 2010.