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A newly built bagel shop in Sydney's trendy Paddington has been vandalised with anti-Jewish graffiti just days out from its grand opening.
Candy Berger, CEO of Lox In A Box, revealed on Thursday night that the small bagel chain's new location had been graffitied with a Nazi swastika.
The store is set to open on April 9 and will join the business's other location at Bondi, Coogee and Marrickville.
In a social media post on Thursday, Ms Berger said she visited the Paddington store on the previous day after the building fit-out had just been completed.
'We were so excited to finally share our Paddo space with you,' Ms Berger, who is of Jewish heritage, wrote.
'We were going to take you on a tour, we wanted to show you the hand-painted windows, the space, and all the details. It's something we've been working so hard towards for weeks.
'A build that's held so much of us. Our literal blood, sweat and heart. And now tears.
'Yesterday, we proudly took the paper down. And today, we wanted to cover it all up again. This morning, we arrived to find a swastika etched into the glass.'
Candy Berger is the CEO of Lox In A Box which has three, and soon four, Sydney locations
The businesswoman revealed on Thursday that her new store in Paddington was vandalised with antisemitic graffiti
The small business owner said the experience had left her shaken, but she was defiant.
'I've been showing up every day, pushing through this strange in-between of building something. Where you're no longer small, but not yet big enough to feel steady just yet.
Ms Berger said she kept going because she 'loves what she does' along with her colleagues and customers.
'But today, my strength gave way. I lost my words, I didn't have gratitude. This one deeply hurt.
'I stood there in shock, thinking about what that symbol represents... What it has cost us... I am the granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor, and today felt like a punch that landed deeper than most.'
She said the incident happening just before Passover in early April would give the celebration even more meaning.
'A time where we remember that the Jewish people have been marked before. Hunted before. Silenced before. Told to disappear before. And yet, we are still here.'
She said police had been called, who were 'amazing' and added it would not affect the opening of the store.
'We will not let it close our doors or dim the light of something we've worked so hard to build. That is what hate wants and we refuse to give it that.'
NSW Police confirmed it is investigating the incident.
'A report of malicious damage at a business on Oxford Street, Paddington, was received about 12pmThursday,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail.
'Inquiries have established the incident occurred on Saturday 21 March 2026.'
Anyone with information about the incident or footage relevant to it is asked to contact police.
Daily Mail has contacted Ms Berger for comment.
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