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ANDOVER — The town has issued an apology after the Finance Committee presented a slide during Monday’s Special Town Meeting that included a yellow six-pointed star with the words “20% tax increase” on it.
The apology included that it had been “unintentional.”
The Special Town Meeting was held at the request of residents looking to make changes in road safety, town government and senior citizens while the town presented a two-part article that dealt with funding design work on the high school project.
“On behalf of Andover Town Government and the Andover Finance Committee, we want to take an opportunity to apologize for the use of a yellow, six-pointed star in a presentation to Special Town Meeting on Monday, November 20th,” said a statement from Town Manager Andrew Flanagan and Paula Colby-Clements, chair of the Andover Finance Committee.
The slide was part of a presentation the Finance Committee gave regarding what the financial impacts of building the proposed $450 million high school would be.
“A lot of our members were there,” said Amy Riemer, a spokesperson from Temple Emanuel, a Jewish Congregation in Andover.
She said many in the congregation “felt that it was hurtful and insensitive.” Riemer also shared a statement from the temple regarding the use of the star.
“It was brought to our attention that at the Special Town Meeting held in Andover on Monday night a yellow six-pointed star was used as a graphic in one of the Finance Committee slides to highlight a tax increase. Since this type of star is traditionally associated with the Star of David, we took this matter very seriously,” said Riemer.
After the incident, members of the temple reached out to various town leaders.
“We applaud the town of Andover for recognizing the impact of this incident and look forward to working with them collaboratively in the coming weeks in a productive way,” she said.
Riemer said after the star was used in the presentation, social media shared it with others who weren’t there Monday night.
During the Holocaust Jews were forced to wear a similar yellow star.
“We understand that, while unintentional, the use of the six-pointed star was offensive and hurtful,” continued the town’s statement. “As public officials, we have an obligation to understand the power of images, what they represent and the impact they may have on members of our community. Our commitment to building a community where people feel both safe and accepted is unwavering.”
The use of the symbol follows heightened fears and tension in the Jewish community due to the outbreak of the war in Gaza and Israel, which has led to a rise in antisemitism around the globe.
“The past several months have been a difficult time for Andover’s Jewish community. In the coming weeks, we will be having a community conversation about how we can support our friends and neighbors, and work together to create a more just, equitable and safe community for all who call Andover home,” concluded the town’s statement.
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