Stow residents respond to antisemitism with vigil against hate

Residents held candles as they gathered outside of the First Parish Church of Stow & Acton, Unitarian Universalist, on Tuesday night for a vigil against hate that was organized in response to an incident of antisemitic vandalism that remains under investigation by Stow Police.Town of Stow

Stow community members recently took part in a vigil against hate held in response to an incident of antisemitic vandalism.

Town officials and residents held candles at the Nov. 8 vigil on the town common. The Nashoba Area Social Justice Alliance and the First Parish Church of Stow & Acton, Unitarian Universalist organized the event following the Nov. 5 vandalism incident in which police said tires on two cars were slashed and an antisemitic slur was carved into the sides of one of the cars in front of a home on North Shore Drive. Fresh burn marks also were discovered on several parts of the home’s exterior, according to police, who are investigating.

The Rev. Cynthia Landrum, pastor of First Parish, offered a prayer for peace, acceptance, love, and an end to hate and violence. “Terrorism against one family in Stow terrorizes more than just one family — it terrorizes a community,” she said. “We are here to say this is not what this community stands for.”

John Laidler can be reached at [e-mail].