Berman's Bakery
An Israeli commercial bakery with roots in Jerusalem dating to the nineteenth century and a nationwide distribution network.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Berman's Bakery is an Israeli commercial bakery founded in Jerusalem in 1875 by Kreshe Berman. It began as a small family food business in the Old City, where Kreshe baked honey cakes and developed a dark bread made with locally available grain and carob paste. The products were initially sold to Christian pilgrims and local residents, while her son Yehoshua later expanded distribution through door-to-door sales and a shop outside the Old City walls. The business became notable not only for its longevity but also for its role in the physical and commercial expansion of Jewish Jerusalem. In 1882, Yehoshua Berman opened what is described as the first Jewish store outside the Old City walls, near Jaffa Gate. Goods were transported using horse- and mule-drawn wagons, whose Austrian military anchor insignia became associated with the bakery and was later incorporated into its logo. In 1886, Yehoshua built a flour mill north of Mishkenot Sha'ananim. The mill operated until the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, and remnants of its millstones remain at the former site. As Jewish neighborhoods developed beyond the Old City, the family moved the bakery to Mea Shearim. Yehoshua brought his brother Eliyahu into the operation, and the business was formalized as J. and E. Berman Ltd. During the British Mandate period, the bakery supplied the Mandate government. It also continued operating during the 1948 war, despite the siege of Jerusalem, shortages of flour and gasoline, and the bakery's location near the Jordanian border. The company maintained bread deliveries to Jerusalem residents under difficult conditions. In 1965, Berman's moved from Mea Shearim to a purpose-built facility on Beit Hadfus Street in Jerusalem's Givat Shaul industrial area. The move marked a transition from a traditional family bakery to a large-scale industrial producer. The factory was described as occupying nearly 10,000 square meters and using highly automated production, baking, slicing and packaging processes. The site became the company's headquarters and remains close to the Givat Shaul baking and food-production cluster. The company broadened its scale and product portfolio through acquisitions. In 2001 it purchased Lechem HaAretz Bakery, known for specialty and health-oriented breads, and Vadash Bakery of Ramat HaSharon, which produced breads, rolls and crumb coatings. These transactions helped establish Berman's as Israel's second-largest bakery, behind Angel Bakeries. Its range includes light and wholemeal breads, challah, rolls, pitas, cakes, pies, pastries and other packaged and unpackaged baked goods. Berman's also operates a consumer-facing bread shop and pâtisserie at its Givat Shaul factory, opened in 1999. The store sells breads, rolls, pitas, cakes, pies and refrigerated pastries, along with hot and cold beverages, and provides visitors with views of pastry production. The wider business has been described as employing more than 400 workers, operating approximately 60 delivery trucks and supplying more than 2,000 stores, supermarkets and institutions throughout Israel. In 2007, Mishkei Harei Yehuda, an agricultural cooperative, acquired the company. Contemporary reference material reports annual revenue of approximately 300 million Israeli new shekels at the time and states that the transaction value was 350 million shekels. Berman's remains an active Israeli bakery brand, combining a long Jerusalem family-business heritage with industrial manufacturing and nationwide distribution.
History
Berman's Bakery traces its origins to Kreshe Berman's cottage baking business in Jerusalem. The family had immigrated from Lithuania, and Kreshe supported the household by selling groceries and later baking honey cakes for Christian pilgrims visiting the city. After a customer asked for Russian black bread, she developed a darker local bread using carob paste and grain. Demand grew sufficiently for her son Yehoshua to leave his religious studies and help run the business. Yehoshua extended the business beyond the Old City. In 1882 he opened a Jewish shop outside the walls near Jaffa Gate, delivering bread from the family operation by horse and mule. The anchor emblem on the wagons used for transport became linked with the bakery and was eventually used in its branding. Four years later, Yehoshua built a flour mill north of Mishkenot Sha'ananim. The mill continued operating until the 1948 war, when the surrounding area became a conflict zone. The family later moved to Mea Shearim as Jewish settlement expanded beyond the Old City. Yehoshua's brother Eliyahu joined the business, which adopted the name J. and E. Berman Ltd. The bakery supplied the British Mandate government between 1917 and 1948. During the 1948 war it faced bombing threats, rationing and the siege of Jerusalem, but continued supplying fresh bread to the city's population. A major modernization occurred in 1965, when the bakery moved to Beit Hadfus Street in Givat Shaul. The new facility was described as a highly automated plant of nearly 10,000 square meters, capable of producing approximately 3,000 loaves per hour. That year Yitzchak Berman, a great-grandson of Kreshe, joined the company after military service. He worked across the operation before becoming managing director and later CEO and controlling shareholder. The company diversified and increased its national scale in 2001 through the purchase of Lechem HaAretz Bakery and Vadash Bakery. It subsequently became Israel's second-largest bakery after Angel Bakeries. Its business includes mass-market breads and rolls as well as challah, pitas, cakes, pies, pastries and specialty or health-oriented products. A factory retail shop and pâtisserie opened in 1999, adding direct consumer access to the manufacturing site. In 2007, ownership passed from the Berman family to Mishkei Harei Yehuda. The acquisition ended the family's controlling ownership while preserving the business as an active Israeli bakery enterprise. Reference material associated with the period describes a workforce of more than 400 people, around 60 delivery trucks and service to over 2,000 stores, supermarkets and institutions across Israel.
- 2007
Ownership transferred to Mishkei Harei Yehuda
[1]The agricultural cooperative purchased the holdings of Yitzchak Berman and became the company's owner.
- 2001
Lechem HaAretz and Vadash acquired
[1]The acquisitions expanded Berman's specialty, health-oriented and bakery-product capabilities.
- 1999
Factory retail shop and pâtisserie opened
[1]The company added a direct-to-consumer store selling its bread, pastry and confectionery range.
- 1965
Move to Givat Shaul industrial facility
[1]Berman's relocated to its current Beit Hadfus Street site and introduced large-scale automated production.
- 1948
Bakery continues operating during the Jerusalem siege
[1]Despite wartime attacks and shortages of flour and fuel, Berman's continued delivering bread in Jerusalem.
- 1917
British Mandate supply relationship begins
[1]The bakery became a regular supplier to the British Mandate government.
- 1886
Flour mill established
[1]Yehoshua Berman built a flour mill north of Mishkenot Sha'ananim.
- 1882
First Jewish shop outside the Old City walls
[1]Yehoshua Berman opened a shop near Jaffa Gate, extending the family's sales network beyond the Old City.
- 1875
Berman's Bakery founded in Jerusalem
[1]Kreshe Berman established the family bakery as a cottage industry in Jerusalem's Old City.
Products and positioning
A long-established Israeli bakery positioned around Jerusalem heritage, broad everyday bread availability, industrial production, and nationwide distribution, with additional specialty, health-oriented and pâtisserie offerings.
Bread
Light breads
Everyday white and light bread products form part of Berman's mass-market range, produced industrially and distributed through Israeli retailers and institutions.
Bread
Wholemeal breads
Wholemeal breads extend the portfolio beyond standard loaves and reflect the company's broader health-oriented and specialty-bread offering.
Bread
Challah
Challah is included among the bakery's traditional bread products and is sold through its retail and distribution channels.
Bread products
Rolls and pitas
The company produces both packaged and unpackaged rolls and pitas for household, retail and institutional consumption.
Confectionery and pâtisserie
Cakes, pies and pastries
Cakes, pies and refrigerated pastries are sold through the factory pâtisserie and form the confectionery side of the Berman's range.
Specialty bread · 2001
Specialty and health-oriented breads
The acquisition of Lechem HaAretz brought specialty and health-food bread capabilities into the Berman's business.
Brand decisions
2007
Sale to Mishkei Harei YehudaM&ABackground
Yitzchak Berman sold his holdings after a period in which the family retained control of the bakery.
Action taken
Mishkei Harei Yehuda acquired the company for a reported 350 million Israeli new shekels.
Aftermath
Ownership transferred from the Berman family to the agricultural cooperative, while the bakery continued operating as an Israeli commercial bakery.
Reported acquisition value. ₪350 million (2007)
2001
Acquisition of Lechem HaAretz and Vadash bakeriesM&ABackground
Berman's sought to broaden its product range and strengthen its position in Israel's bakery market.
Action taken
The company acquired Lechem HaAretz Bakery and Vadash Bakery.
Aftermath
The acquisitions helped Berman's become Israel's second-largest bakery.
1965
Relocation and industrial modernizationStrategyBackground
The family bakery had outgrown its earlier Jerusalem locations and needed greater production capacity.
Action taken
Berman's moved to a new facility in Givat Shaul and adopted highly automated production, baking, slicing and packaging processes.
Aftermath
The move created the industrial base for large-scale production and nationwide distribution.
Recent events
- 2007
Berman's Bakery acquired by Mishkei Harei Yehuda[1]
M&A
The agricultural cooperative Mishkei Harei Yehuda acquired Berman's Bakery from CEO and controlling shareholder Yitzchak Berman. Reference material places the reported transaction value at 350 million Israeli new shekels.
- 2001
Berman's expands through two bakery acquisitions[1]
M&A
Berman's Bakery purchased Lechem HaAretz Bakery and Vadash Bakery, expanding its specialty, health-oriented, bread, roll and crumb-coating operations.
- 1999
Berman's opens factory bread shop and pâtisserie[1]
Product launch
The company opened a retail shop and pâtisserie at its Givat Shaul factory, offering packaged and unpackaged bakery products and beverages.
Sources1 sources
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