Police launched an investigation into the vandalism at Lox in a Box on Oxford Street in Paddington after officers were alerted to reports of malicious damage on Thursday. Inquiries determined that the etching was done on 21 March. The damage was not immediately visible because the shopfront windows had been covered with brown paper following painting work, and the marking was only discovered earlier this week when the covering was removed. Renovations had been under way at the Paddington site ahead of the planned launch, with the business preparing to open its fourth outlet on 9 April, adding to existing locations in Bondi, Coogee and Marrickville.
Owner Candy Berger said the discovery had been deeply distressing. She said the timing of the incident felt deliberate, coming shortly before Passover. Despite the latest incident, Berger expressed gratitude for support received from police and the Community Security Group.
The vandalism is the latest incident of alleged antisemitism reported in Sydney’s eastern suburbs since Israel launched a war on Gaza in 2023 following a Hamas attack. The area is home to a large Jewish community, and multiple reports of cars being set on fire and homes being vandalised in the area preceded a deadly attack at a Hanukkah event near Bondi Beach in December that left 15 people dead. Following the attack, a well-known bakery in Surry Hills, Avner’s, closed permanently, with a message posted on its shopfront saying it could no longer guarantee the safety of staff or customers. Chef Ed Halmagyi, who ran the bakery, said the decision followed prolonged targeting of the business, describing almost ceaseless antisemitic harassment, vandalism and intimidation over a two-year period.
Lox in a Box too has previously reported being targeted. After the Bondi attack, the company temporarily shut all of its locations and later said it had received a surge of negative online reviews.
Police said an investigation was ongoing, but it is unknown who carved the swastika into the window of Lox in a Box or what specific evidence or leads police have. Whether the vandalism is directly linked to broader antisemitic incidents in Sydney's eastern suburbs also remains unclear.