Wasselonne, France, near the German border, is home to the country’s oldest matzah bakery, Etablissements Rene Neymann.  Jean-Claude Neymann, current CEO of the company, says, “I’m the fifth generation of my family to bake matzah here in Wasselonne.”

Matzah is the traditional unleavened flatbread eaten on Passover, when ordinary loaves, along with other typical grain products, are forbidden.  Production of matzah is strictly regulated by Jewish law.  Once flour and water make contact, there is a very small window of time to complete the baking process before leavening begins and it becomes forbidden for Passover.

JTA.org recently profiled the matzah bakery.  From a small operation servicing the local community, it has grown to an international supplier.

Salomon Neymann started the family business back in 1850.  He was a peddler who first began baking matzah for his family and neighbors in the nearby town of Odratzheim, but by 1870 his popularity had grown, and he and his son Benoit moved the bakery to it current home in Wasselonne.  The new location had several advantages; it was a market town with an industrial district, and had its own flour mill.

For nearly 20 years the Neymann family manufactured traditional matzah in their bakery.  Then, in 1919, Benoit’s youngest son, Rene, saw an opportunity for growth.  He industrialized matzah production in the factory, changed the company name to Etablissements Rene Neymann and began marketing the product outside the Jewish community in 1930.

World War II did not leave the bakery untouched; in 1940 Etablissements Rene Neymann was forced to close its doors when the family was exiled to southern France.  In 1948, however, Rene returned to the business.

The world was a different place following the war.  “Supermarkets started to replace traditional food markets, and eating a low-fat diet became fashionable,” Jean-Claude Neymann noted.  The family took advantage of the change to further expand their market.

Rene’s son, Robert, modernized and automated production, expanded the product line and secured new distribution outlets.  The company began manufacturing different varieties, from rye and whole wheat matzah to certified organic.

Jean-Claude, who took over from his father in 1983, says, “Regular matzah is still our biggest Passover item, but about 62 percent of our total manufacturing output is sold outside France.  We sell throughout Europe, to Morocco, South Africa, Japan and China. There’s a big market for crackers in those countries.”