The baker who wants to create a community, bagel by bagel

In October, when antisemitic graffiti was sprayed on Avner’s, the “‘Eastern European bakery and bagelporium” in Sydney’s Surry Hills, its owner Ed Halmagyi went straight to Instagram with this message:

“We were very unfortunate that someone decided to vandalise our shop on the weekend. Unfortunately for them, they don’t realise just how strong we are as a community. But it’s going to happen to other people and I’ve got some advice for you. When it happens, don’t use it as a reason to withdraw and to feel like the world’s too big. Use it as an invitation to get bigger yourself. Stand taller. Be prouder and remember one very important thing: We’re Jewish, and we’re proud, and we’re strong.”

It’s not the first time in his career that Halmagyi has pushed back against intimidation. Towards the end of his 20-year stint as a television chef on Channel 7’s Better Homes and Gardens, Halmagyi got a Magen David tattooed on his arm and was asked to cover it up with make-up or long sleeves. “We’re not comfortable with you being overtly Jewish on screen,” he was told.

Not only did Halmagyi refuse, he doubled down. “I got myself another little nice piece,” he says, pointing to a tattoo of Hebrew script from Psalms. “Then I got the pomegranate to go with it because the pomegranate is symbolic of the 613 mitzvot.” He also has a tattoo with Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheinu, Adonai Echad in Hebrew script, words which the bible compels us to bind to our hand and head. “I’ve bound it to my hand permanently!”

Whatever management thought of Halmagyi’s overt Jewishness became irrelevant when he walked away from his media career to open his small neighbourhood bakery early this year.