A celebrity chef’s Jewish bakery in Sydney has permanently shuttered its doors after two years of relentless antisemitic threats, marking a chilling milestone in what many see as the systematic erasure of visible Jewish life from Australian streets.
Story Snapshot
- Avner’s Bakery closed permanently after celebrity chef Ed Halmagyi declared it impossible to maintain safe Jewish businesses in Australia
- Two years of harassment culminated in Nazi-Hamas symbol vandalism and threatening notes left at the Surry Hills location
- The recent Bondi Beach terrorist attack that killed 15 Jews during Chanukah became the final breaking point
- Halmagyi’s closure represents a broader retreat of Jewish establishments from public spaces due to safety concerns
When Celebrity Status Cannot Shield You
Ed Halmagyi, known to television audiences as “Fast Ed” from Better Homes and Gardens, discovered that fame offers no protection against antisemitic hatred. His Jewish bakery Avner’s became a target not despite its high profile, but perhaps because of it. The establishment, proudly Jewish in its identity and specializing in traditional bagels, represented everything that modern antisemites seek to eliminate from public view.
'Avner's Is Closed': Jewish Bagel Shop Shutters Doors Thanks to Ongoing Threats, Antisemitism https://t.co/ZSkpopCrCU
— john slotkin (@john_slotkin) December 17, 2025
Halmagyi’s heartbreaking announcement came via a simple door notice that read: “The world has changed… it is no longer possible to make outwardly, publicly, proudly Jewish places… safe in Australia… AVNER’S IS CLOSED.” The finality of those words echoes far beyond one bakery’s closure.
The Escalating Campaign of Terror
The harassment began systematically in October 2023, when vandals spray-painted inverted red triangles on Avner’s windows. These symbols carry a dual horror: originally used by Nazis to mark political prisoners, they have been repurposed by Hamas to identify Israeli targets for destruction. A threatening note reading “be careful” was slipped under the door, transforming the bakery from a place of community gathering into a fortress under siege.
For two years, Halmagyi and his staff endured this psychological warfare. The businessman initially showed resilience, publicly affirming his commitment to serving the community. However, the December 2025 Bondi Beach terrorist attack that claimed 15 Jewish lives during a Chanukah celebration became the breaking point that transformed temporary closure into permanent defeat.
The Broader Implications of Retreat
Avner’s closure signals something more sinister than the loss of a single business—it represents the successful intimidation campaign that is driving Jewish life underground in Australia. When a celebrity chef with resources and public recognition cannot maintain a Jewish establishment, what hope exists for smaller, less visible Jewish businesses? The answer appears to be none.
This retreat mirrors historical patterns where Jewish communities were systematically excluded from public commercial life through campaigns of intimidation and violence. The fact that this is occurring in modern Australia, a nation built on principles of religious freedom and multiculturalism, makes the situation particularly alarming. Halmagyi’s decision, while understandable given the threats to his staff and customers, essentially hands victory to the antisemites who sought to erase Jewish presence from Surry Hills.
Sources:
Antisemitic attack on Jewish bakery in Sydney – Jerusalem Post
