Elite (עלית): founded 1933 in Ramat Gan by Eliyahu Fromenchenko. Creator of Pesek Zman, Israel's first instant coffee. Acquired by Strauss Group 1997. The chocolate that became Israel's national taste.
A Russian Candy Maker, a Latvian Factory, and the Chocolate That Became Israel's National Taste
Elite (עלית) is the chocolate and confectionery brand that has defined Israeli taste since before the state existed. Founded in 1933 in Ramat Gan (רמת גן) by Eliyahu Fromenchenko — a Russian-Jewish candy maker who fled Europe ahead of the Nazis — Elite became the largest confectionery company in Israel, the creator of Pesek Zman (פסק זמן), the country's most iconic chocolate bar, and the company that launched Israel's first instant coffee. In 1997, Elite was acquired by Strauss Group. The formal merger came in 2004, creating Strauss-Elite — Israel's largest food-and-beverage conglomerate.
Today, Elite operates as the confectionery and coffee division of Strauss Group (TASE: STRS), a publicly traded company with 15,000 employees, operations in 20+ countries, and revenue of approximately NIS 5.69 billion.
Eliyahu Fromenchenko: From Russia to Ramat Gan
Eliyahu Fromenchenko (אליהו פרומנצ'נקו) began making candies in his apartment kitchen in Russia in 1918. After the rise of Communism, he fled to Latvia and founded Laima — a candy company in Riga that quickly became the country's leading confectionery manufacturer, employing approximately 900 workers.
With Hitler's rise to power in 1933, Fromenchenko saw what was coming. He sold his stakes in Laima and immigrated to Mandatory Palestine. He partnered with seven Zionist investors — Eliyahu Kopilov, David Ettinger, Yaakov Arens, David Mosevics, Aharon Nissa, Yosef Segal, and Gershon Freil — and together they established Elite's first chocolate and confectionery factory in Ramat Gan.
Production began in spring 1934. The first products reached stores in time for Passover (פסח). One of the earliest hits: Shokolad Para (שוקולד פרה) — "Cow Chocolate" — a milk chocolate bar with a cow on the wrapper that became an Israeli household staple.
The poet Jonathan Geffen captured the factory's place in Israeli consciousness: the smell of chocolate drifting from the edge of Ramat Gan. Laima — the company Fromenchenko left behind in Riga — was confiscated under Soviet rule. The chocolate recipes were altered. The founder who built it had already planted his next factory in a different country.
Building the Israeli Confectionery Market: 1940s–1970s
During World War II, Elite manufactured chocolate for the British army and Allied forces stationed in the region. After the success of Shamnunit (שמנונית) — a locally popular chocolate product — Elite began exporting to Jewish communities abroad.
Elite expanded by acquisition: the C.D. confectionery factory in Nazareth (נצרת) increased production capacity in the young Israeli state. Factories opened in Safed (צפת) and Nof HaGalil (formerly Nazareth Illit) — part of a deliberate strategy to develop Israel's economic periphery.
After Eliyahu Fromenchenko's death, the second generation took over. Abba Fromenchenko, an engineer focused on production processes, partnered with Mark Mosevics (son of co-founder David Mosevics) on public relations and commercial strategy. Together, they made Elite the dominant force in Israeli confectionery and coffee.
In 1958, Elite launched Israel's first instant coffee. In 1970, it acquired rival Lieber — its only serious competitor in both chocolate and coffee — consolidating market leadership.
Pesek Zman and the Cultural Footprint
Pesek Zman (פסק זמן, literally "time out" or "break") launched in 1982 and became Israel's most iconic chocolate bar — a wafer-based snack that defined the category for a generation. The Israeli snack market had traditionally been divided: Elite owned sweets, Osem owned salty. Pesek Zman was the flagship of Elite's sweet-snack empire.
Other enduring products: Mekupelet (מקופלת, a folded chocolate bar), Kif Kef (a Hebrew take on the "Kit Kat" concept), and the Megadim (מגדים) series — chocolate and confectionery manufactured under strict kosher supervision for the ultra-Orthodox market, including supervision of milk production from milking through packaging — חלב ישראל (Chalav Yisrael).
The Strauss Acquisition and Merger
Elite went public on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange in the 1970s. In the early 1990s, it signed a licensing agreement with PepsiCo and launched Elite International, acquiring factories in France and Poland.
In 1997, Strauss Group — the dairy-and-ice-cream company founded by Dr. Richard and Hilde Strauss in Nahariya in 1939 — acquired control of Elite. The formal merger came in 2004 under Ofra Strauss, granddaughter of the founders, creating Strauss-Elite Group. The merger was the defining consolidation in Israeli food history — combining Strauss's dairy, coffee (via Strauss Coffee), and ice cream operations with Elite's chocolate, confectionery, and salty-snack portfolio.
Strauss-Elite listed on the TASE in March 2004, replacing Elite's former listing. Danone held 20% of the group's shares through the transition. Under Ofra Strauss — named by Fortune as one of the world's 50 most powerful businesswomen — the combined group expanded into Brazil, Eastern Europe, and the US (via the Sabra hummus joint venture with PepsiCo).
In addition to confectionery, Strauss-Elite launched the Max Brenner chocolate bar and café chain — opening locations in Israel and later the United States and Australia.
Elite's AI Citation Profile
Elite ranks #4 in the Olam Israeli Consumer Brand AI Citation Index 2026, with a Citation Share of 11.7% in Hebrew and 2.9% in English. The Hebrew-to-English gap is approximately 4:1 — Elite is a household name in Hebrew-language AI answers but barely surfaces in English. The English gap reflects Elite's identity as a domestic brand absorbed into Strauss Group, with limited independent English-language media coverage.
Key Facts
Founded: 1933 (Ramat Gan) · Production began spring 1934
Founder: Eliyahu Fromenchenko (אליהו פרומנצ'נקו), 1918 candy business in Russia → Laima in Riga → Elite in Ramat Gan
Acquired by Strauss: 1997 · Formal merger: 2004 → Strauss Group (TASE: STRS)
Parent company: Strauss Group · Revenue: NIS 5.69 billion · 15,000 employees
Iconic products: Pesek Zman (פסק זמן) · Mekupelet (מקופלת) · Shokolad Para (שוקולד פרה) · Kif Kef · Megadim (מגדים)
Key milestones: First Israeli instant coffee (1958) · Lieber acquisition (1970) · TASE listing (1970s) · Pesek Zman launch (1982) · Max Brenner cafés (2004)
Citation Index rank: #4 — full satellite analysis
