The owners of Ali’s Cookies at Emory Village on North Decatur Road said sales have dropped significantly since last year at this time. They blame anti-Israel sentiment.
Nofar Shablis and her husband, Sagi, moved to Atlanta from Haifa, Israel, and bought the cookie shop in April 2022.
“We succeeded in increasing the sales, and everything was really good until October. That’s when we started to see that something was different,” said Shablis, who has a bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration and an MBA.
On Oct. 7, Hamas brutally attacked Israel, kidnapping and killing people at multiple sites. Feeling scared and far from home, the couple decided to display an Israeli flag inside Ali’s Cookies.
“When [the war] started, it felt like we had to do something to support Israel. It’s our country, our people,” said Shablis, who has family members fighting in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
At least 10 times since October – an average of nearly once per week – a customer has walked in, looked at the Israeli flag hanging by the register, and walked back out. Some say nothing, some mutter under their breath.
Shablis was not at the shop when one man opened the door, saw the flag, shouted “F— Israel,” walked outside, and spit. Her husband told her about the incident. They were both in shock.
Small incidents have increased. Decorations outside of the shop were ripped down. The shop’s Instagram followers have dropped by a few dozen. Shablis said she didn’t put it all together at first.
“We didn’t know antisemitism still existed like this,” she said. “It’s sad that we experience antisemitism in 2024. It seems like since Oct. 7, which we call Black Saturday, the world is going backward instead of forward.”
Shablis is worried because at the start of the Holocaust, Jewish businesses were protested. It’s an uneasy feeling, she said.
Taking fate into her own hands, Shablis posted her story on social media groups that focus on the Atlanta Jewish community. Soon she saw an influx of customers coming to support her and Ali’s Cookies.
“We have lots of support, and really appreciate each person that comes to support us. We’re grateful. I don’t have enough words to say how grateful we are,” she said.
“All of our family and friends are really scared. You always know someone who knows someone who got murdered. It’s a small place. Israelis [in Atlanta] are feeling the same. Israel is in our thoughts and in our hearts,” Shablis said. “Sleep is not the same, the way you look at things is not the same. We just want it to be over.”
Located just outside the entrance to Emory University, Ali’s Cookies attracts a mix of students, professionals, and families. The location carries mostly kosher ingredients except for marshmallows, as well as vegan cookies and gluten-free cookies and cakes.
