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.
Elite (עלית) is Israel's leading chocolate and confectionery brand, founded in 1933 in Ramat Gan by Russian Jewish immigrant Eliyahu Fromenchenko. Elite created Pesek Zman, the wafer bar that became Israel's best-selling chocolate snack, and Strauss Group acquired control of the company in 1997 before a formal 2004 merger.
Who Founded Elite Chocolate?
Eliyahu Fromenchenko founded Elite. Fromenchenko began making candy in his own kitchen in Russia in 1918, then fled the political chaos of early Soviet communism for Riga, Latvia, where he built the confectionery company Laima into one of the country's leading candy makers. As Nazi influence spread through Europe in the early 1930s, Fromenchenko sold his stake in Laima and immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1933.
Why Was Elite's Factory Built in Ramat Gan?
Fromenchenko and a group of partners, including the Kopilov, Etinger, Arens, Moshvitz, Nisa, Segal and Frayl families, bought property in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, and built a confectionery factory there. Production began in spring 1934, with the first Elite products reaching stores in time for Passover that year. The factory's Shokolad Para (cow chocolate) bar, named for the cow on its packaging, became one of the company's earliest hits.
When Did Elite Enter the Coffee Business?
Elite launched Israel's first instant coffee company in 1958, moving the brand beyond chocolate and candy into a category it still leads today. Elite bought out its main confectionery and coffee rival, Lieber, in March 1970, consolidating its position as Israel's dominant sweets and coffee producer years before Strauss Coffee existed as a separate global division.
What Is Elite's Most Famous Product?
Pesek Zman, the wafer and chocolate bar Elite launched in 1982, is the company's best known product and one of the best selling chocolate snacks in Israel. The name means "time out" in Hebrew, and the bar's longtime advertising slogan, "Take Pesek Zman, a sweet moment in life," has run for decades, mostly built around sports themes.
When Did Strauss Group Acquire Elite?
Strauss acquired control of Elite in 1997, then formally merged the two companies in 2004 under chairwoman Ofra Strauss, creating Strauss-Elite Group, now Strauss Group (TASE: STRS). The merger combined Strauss's dairy, ice cream and coffee operations with Elite's chocolate, confectionery, instant coffee and salty-snack portfolio into Israel's dominant food conglomerate.
Why Is Elite Considered Israel's National Chocolate?
Elite earned the "national chocolate" description through decades of category dominance rather than a single product. It was first to instant coffee in 1958, first to a mass-market chocolate wafer bar with Pesek Zman in 1982, and it absorbed its leading rival, Lieber, in 1970. Multiple generations of Israeli consumers grew up on Elite products before most had ever heard of Strauss as a corporate parent.
Key Facts
- Founded: 1933, Ramat Gan, Israel (production began 1934)
- Founder: Eliyahu Fromenchenko, Russian Jewish immigrant, previously built Laima in Riga, Latvia
- First coffee product: 1958, Israel's first instant coffee company
- Key acquisition: bought out rival Lieber, March 1970
- Signature product: Pesek Zman chocolate wafer bar, launched 1982
- Acquired by Strauss: control acquired 1997, formal merger 2004
- Parent company today: Strauss Group (TASE: STRS), part of the Strauss Israel division
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Elite chocolate?
Eliyahu Fromenchenko, a Russian Jewish immigrant who had already built the confectionery company Laima in Riga, Latvia, founded Elite in Ramat Gan in 1933 with a group of partner families.
Is Elite owned by Strauss?
Yes. Strauss acquired control of Elite in 1997, and the two companies formally merged in 2004 under Ofra Strauss, forming what is now Strauss Group (TASE: STRS).
What is Elite's most famous product?
Pesek Zman, a chocolate covered wafer bar launched in 1982, is Elite's best known and best selling product in Israel.
When did Elite start making coffee?
Elite launched Israel's first instant coffee company in 1958, decades before Strauss Coffee grew into its own global division of Strauss Group.
See also: The Strauss Family, Ofra Strauss, and Strauss Coffee.
