{"id":367972,"date":"2026-03-31T18:14:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:14:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/367972\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T18:14:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T18:14:18","slug":"the-israeli-family-factory-baking-matzah-for-millions-under-missile-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/367972\/","title":{"rendered":"The Israeli family factory baking matzah for millions under missile fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

Between one and three times a day, workers at the Matzot Aviv factory have left the production line, halted the machines and entered protected areas during air-raid sirens. But the disruptions have not stopped management from producing packages destined for Jews across Israel and around the world ahead of Passover.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo two Passovers are the same,\u201d said Noam Wolf, a fifth-generation manager of the factory, alongside his brother David and his son Roi, who represents the sixth generation. <\/p>\n

Baking matzah at Matzot Aviv factory<\/p>\n

(Video: Shilo Freid)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery Passover brings different events. This year, for example, we\u2019re working under war and missile fire, with employees heading to shelters about three times a day. We worked here during the Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War, the Gulf War, and even during COVID with masks and capsules. There\u2019s history here going back to the War of Independence and the British Mandate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn our flour warehouse,\u201d Roi added, \u201cthere used to be the Haganah\u2019s main weapons depot. The Davidka mortar, developed by David Leibowitz, was actually built right here, where the flour is today. There\u2019s a history of matzah here \u2014 and a broader history as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The factory, which has been operating at peak capacity in recent weeks, began preparing matzah the day after Simchat Torah and has worked throughout the winter. Even now, as major shipments are being dispatched, Roi, the deputy CEO, is already ordering ingredients for next year\u2019s Passover production.<\/p>\n

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5 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"On<\/a>\"On<\/p>\n

On the production line <\/p>\n

(Photo: Ido Erez)<\/p>\n

In addition to matzah, the factory produces cookies, crackers, health products and more throughout the year. For the Wolf family, Matzot Aviv is far more than a business.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeyond the business itself, there\u2019s a sense of mission and continuity,\u201d Roi said. \u201cNot everyone has the privilege of being part of a six-generation tradition, and for us it\u2019s a great source of pride. In our family, there\u2019s really no concept of retirement \u2014 my grandmother, for example, worked until she was 93 and only stopped coming to the factory in the final year of her life. This is much more than a business; it\u2019s a deep family and personal commitment that connects generations and continues to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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5 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"'A<\/a>\"'A<\/p>\n

‘A deep family and personal commitment that connects generations and continues to this day’ <\/p>\n

(Photo: Ido Erez)<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

5 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"Transition<\/a>\"Transition<\/p>\n

Transition from hand production to machine manufacturing was turning point<\/p>\n

( Photo: Ido Erez)<\/p>\n

He described the factory\u2019s early days, first in Bnei Brak and later in Petah Tikva. \u201cWhen the Bnei Brak factory was established, the entire area was desolate. Jabotinsky Road was a dirt road, and around it were transit camps and almond groves. The factory began operating here in 1947, with a license from the British Mandate period. For years, we mainly produced matzah and matzah flour \u2014 a relatively simple business, with few products and direct management,\u201d he said, pointing to what is now central Bnei Brak, which \u201cwas largely populated by transit camps.\u201d<\/p>\n

A major turning point in the matzah industry came with the transition from hand production to machine manufacturing. Those early machines were far less advanced than today\u2019s, and the shift sparked debate.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the beginning, all matzah was made by hand, but as the population in the country grew, it became increasingly difficult to meet demand using traditional methods,\u201d Roi said. \u201cAt that point, Rabbi Kook permitted the use of machines for matzah production, which allowed for a significant increase in output and helped meet the needs of the growing community.\u201d<\/p>\n

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5 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>\"The<\/p>\n

The bulk of global matzah production is concentrated in Israel <\/p>\n

(Photo: Ido Erez)<\/p>\n

In the past, due in part to international trade limitations, nearly every Jewish community around the world operated its own local matzah bakery, as importing was not simple. Today, however, most small, family-run bakeries abroad have closed, and the bulk of global matzah production is concentrated in Israel.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the years, things have completely changed,\u201d Roi added. \u201cToday, you can\u2019t make a living from matzah alone, so we\u2019ve expanded into additional products \u2014 sugar-free, gluten-free, ketogenic products under the \u2018Keto Chef\u2019 brand, and organic crackers. During matzah season, the work is extremely intensive, sometimes with shifts running late into the night. At the same time, we export to more than 30 countries \u2014 almost every place with a Jewish community.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

5 View gallery <\/p>\n

\"'Abroad<\/a>\"'Abroad<\/p>\n

‘Abroad matzah is sometimes consumed year-round, even more than in Israel’ <\/p>\n

(Photo: Ido Erez)<\/p>\n

Roi noted that while most global production is now based in Israel, a few factories still operate in countries such as the United States, France and the Netherlands. \u201cInterestingly, abroad matzah is sometimes consumed year-round, even more than in Israel. I joined the business in 2004 after coming from a completely different field. That same year, we acquired an old cookie factory, which allowed us to expand operations and work throughout the year \u2014 not just around Passover.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite the changes, the business remains deeply family-oriented. \u201cI work with my father every day, and despite his age, he still comes in and works until the afternoon,” according to Roi. “There are many advantages to that \u2014 there\u2019s always someone to back you up, we complement each other, and there\u2019s a real sense of partnership that allows us to work efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Between one and three times a day, workers at the Matzot Aviv factory have left the production line,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":367973,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,85,46,543],"class_list":["post-367972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-health","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=367972"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/367972\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/367973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=367972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=367972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=367972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}