Three teens have pleaded guilty in the vandalism of a large ornamental menorah displayed outside a Chandler home during Chanukah 2016.

The teens removed the menorah made of gold spray-painted PVC pipes, and altered it to look like a Nazi swastika.

Maricopa County Attorney’s Bill Montgomery’s office says the teens pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal damage under a plea agreement requiring community service, letters of apology and restitution.

The sentences also included a unique form of punishment; they must meet with a Holocaust survivor and write an essay on what they’ve learned from the encounter.

Montgomery says the crime impacted many people besides the victims, but created an opportunity to have a positive impact on young lives while promoting healing through education and understanding.

“The greater hope, in what this unique resolution affords us as criminal justice professionals, is that we’ll move from just simple awareness that this is wrong to a deeper understanding of what it is to respect religious and ethnic differences in our community,” Montgomery said.

A Montgomery spokeswoman says the case of a fourth young adult involved in the incident remains under review, as he posted an apology to the family on Facebook after he was arrested.

The victims, Naomi and Seth Ellis, said they built the 7-foot menorah in the front yard of their home after their three sons, ages 5, 6 and 9, asked for lights in their yard like their neighbors’ holiday decorations.

“I hope they just didn’t really understand the full impact of what they’re doing and I hope that by this lesson they’re learning that they do understand,” Seth told local station ABC 15. “I hope they take this and try to teach a positive message.”

(Nat Golden – YWN)