A lighting ceremony on the first night of Chanukah, in Delray Beach, FL, left some residents and local members of the Jewish community very upset and disappointed, WPTV reported.

“They say the lighting ceremony of the Menorah was too short,too small and they really felt shunned because of that,” WPTV reporter, Marissa Bagg reported.

In a letter-to-the-editor of the Palm Beach Post, a Jewish woman expressed her disappointment over the menorah lighting ceremony last Wednesday. She claims it did not keep with Jewish tradition.

“This should have been a very beautiful holiday celebration and it would have, if properly administered,” Sandi Franciosa from Delray Beach wrote. “Very few people arrived, about a third of last year’s attendance, but the photographers were there to take all the necessary photos of the “ins” in front of our beautiful menorah. The speeches were given by non-Jewish people who mispronounced words and dismissed the ceremony in about four minutes. The children were allowed to sing one song in English and no Hanukkah “gelt or dreidls” were distributed to the children — a Jewish tradition.”

The most important traditions were neglected. The ceremony was, to some who attended, an insult,” she added.

“There were a lot of things missing. It was a very quick ceremony, they lit the candle and everyone left,” her husband Gerry Franciosa told the Press.

But it was rather the follow-up criticism to the ceremony that led to the Francios couple receiving an anonymous hurtful letter in the mail.

On a post-it note it reads, “Very comical. It is what you are. Go to Israel.”

“To me this is someone without a spine, a coward, especially signing anonymous. And my wife, she feels threatened by this,” Gerry Franciosa told WPTV.

Speaking to Ms. Bagg, City Commissioner Adam Frankel, who is Jewish, agreed the ceremony was mishandled.”There’s no question there was a disservice to our local Jewish families and children in Delray Beach,” said Frankel.

Even Mayor Cary Glickstein admitted in a meeting Tuesday night that he “dropped the ball on this one.”

“I don’t know what to say to the people that expected more. It’s my responsibility and I apologize,” the Mayor said.

Gerry Franciosa told the TV reporter he plans to alert the Anti-Defamation League about the note.

As a matter of fact, this is not the first time the Fanciosa couple were in the media spotlight over the Menorah lighting in Delray Beach.

In 2009, Gerry Franciosa complained to the media about the absence of a Menorah, during the Chanukah holiday, at Old School Square, claiming the residents’ efforts to get one installed had been met with finger-pointing and confusion by City officials.

“I was appalled at the lack of civility and it was an affront to me,” resident Gerry Franciosa told the Sun-Sentinel at the time. “There are a lot of Jewish people in this city. … I don’t see why a menorah should be excluded.”

At a City Commission meeting, Mayor Woodie McDuffie said that the decision was based on an outdated legal opinion that staff was following when it came to holiday displays.

“Please don’t take any offense to what was done over there,” the Mayor said. “I will express my sincere apologies to anyone who may have felt insulted.”

The city later revised the policy. and displayed the Menorah for the first time, thanks to a local donor.

Watch a video report of the Menorah display in 2009, following the earlier outcry:

But as reported above, the lighting ceremony this year was already criticized by Mr. Francios as too little and least respectful.

Below is a video of the lighting ceremony at old School Square in 2011:

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)