Mayor Kawakami Joins Kauai Jewish Community Celebration at Lihue Rotunda

Song, dancing, and a County proclamation with sharp language on antisemitism filled the Mo'ikeha Building rotunda in Līhu'e on Monday, March 23, as Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami joined the Kauai Jewish Community, interfaith groups, and friends in formally recognizing the island's Jewish community.

Kawakami requested a special tune, "One Day," from the five musicians who accompanied the speakers, and led the group by dancing to the song — a moment that captured the spirit of an event the organizers described as filled with merriment.

The proclamation, as read by Marty Kahn, declared: "The Jewish community is a valued minority both on Kauai and worldwide, contributing to our island in ways that far outsize their numbers, and Kauai recognizes and celebrates the community for its history, culture, values and the many contributions that enrich the life and spirit of our island."

It continued: "Kauai is a community that celebrates inclusivity, multiculturalism, mutual respect and aloha, and the County of Kauai stands in solidarity with our Jewish neighbors who are an integral part of the fabric of this island."

The proclamation did not stop at celebration. It called on "all residents of Kauai to speak out against antisemitism in any form, including hateful speech, vandalism or the targeting of Jewish individuals, institutions or religious facilities, to report potential hate crimes to law enforcement, and to listen to and respect the experiences of Jewish community members."

That language carries weight in the context of recent events on the island. In late January, 14 instances of antisemitic vandalism were discovered at various points along the Sleeping Giant Trail on Nounou Mountain. In the aftermath, Lauren Miller, board president of the Jewish Community of Kauai, said she was working with the mayor's office on a mayoral proclamation in support of the community and against antisemitism, as well as requesting the mayor and County Council organize an event celebrating Jewish culture. Monday's gathering was the fulfillment of that effort.

Miller described her community at the rotunda as the "little people with a big story to tell" as she presented a thank-you gift to Kawakami for the proclamation. The phrase echoed language she had used publicly before: after the trail vandalism, she said that "hatred festers when there's silence" and encouraged people to call out hateful speech and acts.

The gathering brought together not just Kauai Jewish Community members but also interfaith groups and community supporters, with five musicians lending the rotunda its celebratory tone. Kawakami's second and final term as mayor runs through December, and the March 23 event stood as one of the more distinctive civic moments of his tenure, blending formal county recognition with song, dancing, and a direct public stance against hatred.