President’s residence gets Israel’s biggest matzah

Israel’s biggest matzah was presented on Sunday to President Isaac Herzog and his wife Michal at his official residence in Jerusalem ahead of the Passover holiday, set to begin Friday evening.

The record-breaking unleavened flatbread — which took over three hours to make from 7 kilograms (15.4 pounds) of flour and 3 liters (0.7 gallons) of water — is 6 meters (6.5 yards) long, 106 centimeters (3.4 feet) wide, and weighs approximately 6 kilograms (13.2 pounds). It also has over 119,000 perforations.

The matzah was created by the Aviv Matzah Factory in Bnei Brak, one of the country’s oldest matzah bakeries, founded in 1887 in Jaffa.

Taking part in the ceremony were David Wolf, a fifth-generation matzah baker, son of the factory’s deputy CEO Roie Wolf and his children, who told Herzog about the bakery and the baking process.

They said the flatbread’s production required changes to the production line in order to accommodate its massive proportions.

The president noted his liking for Passover food, specifically matzah brei, a traditional Ashkenazi holiday dish made of matzah fried with eggs. He asked Wolf’s children, 11-year-old Itamar and 8-year-old Rom, how they preferred to eat matzah, to which both responded — with chocolate.

President Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog presented Israel’s biggest matzah at the President’s House in Jerusalem, April 10, 2022. (Haim Zach/GPO)

“You’re the seventh generation at the factory: you’re the future, it’s incredible,” Herzog told the children.

“We are very happy to see the longest matzah in Israel and maybe even the world, as you celebrate 138 years of matzah-baking at your factory. I want to wish the people of Israel a wonderful Seder night, matzah-eating, and a kosher and happy Passover!”

Amid the tense security situation, first lady Michal Herzog wished everyone “a pleasant and quiet spring holiday. May we know quieter days.”