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Residents and council press to restore menorah; city attorney apologizes for prior comments
Summary
Residents and several councilmembers urged restoring the city's menorah after staff removed it; the city attorney, who provided conservative legal advice, acknowledged being hurt by accusations, defended his counsel and agreed to provide an apology for emotional remarks at a prior meeting.
Palm Beach Gardens — Public commenters and multiple councilmembers pressed the City Council to resolve whether a menorah should be displayed alongside the city’s Christmas tree, and discussions broadened into questions about transparency, legal advice and conduct by city staff.
Several residents recounted longstanding displays and argued legal precedent allows joint seasonal displays. Eric Jablin, a longtime former councilmember, said he had requested public records relating to an alleged threat that city staff cited when removing the menorah; he told the council he had received no records in response. David Levy and Linda Stock cited Supreme Court precedent (including Allegheny County v. ACLU) to argue such combined displays can be constitutional.
At the dais, councilmembers urged staff and the city attorney to find a legally defensible approach quickly, with some calling for a resolution rather than a prolonged review. Vice Mayor Middleton and Councilmember Reid advocated for a collaborative solution and faster action within the next one to two meetings. Several councilmembers emphasized they wanted the matter settled before the December holiday season to avoid recurring controversy.
City Attorney Max Lohman addressed prior remarks at an earlier meeting in which he said removing the menorah was based on legal advice; he expressed that accusations of antisemitism against him were "hurtful," argued his prior advice was intended to minimize litigation risk and said he would prepare an apology letter for his emotional comments. Lohman also reiterated that a defensible display is possible and that he will research a methodology to allow inclusive holiday displays while trying to avoid exposing the city to litigation or opening the door to unrelated symbols.
Council ended the discussion by asking the city attorney, city manager and staff to produce options and legal analysis that would allow inclusive displays without undue litigation risk. Councilmembers also voiced support for signing an international peer solidarity letter condemning recent antisemitic violence in Bondi Beach, Sydney.
Next steps: staff and the city attorney will explore legal approaches to an inclusive holiday display and report back; the council requested an expedited timeline.
