For eight days a year, Jewish communities around the world throw out their fluffy challah bread used as part of the Sabbat ritual in exchange for the Passover favorite, matzah.
Passover, the Jewish holiday commemorating the exodus of the Jewish people fleeing Egypt for freedom, takes place every spring. It’s celebrated in Israel with a seder (a special ritual meal) on the first night of Passover and seven more days of celebrations with friends and family. Outside of Israel, there are two seders and eight days of holiday.
The Kfar Chabad Matzah Factory, southeast of Tel Aviv, houses the largest handmade matzah factory in the world. Chabad is an ultra-Orthodox sect of Judaism that believes in encouraging Jews to become more observant.
The factory is open from the Jewish High Holy Days in the fall until Passover in the spring. It employs over 50 men and the bakery takes on extra staff and volunteers the closer it gets to Passover.