Our Story

כרם שחור started, fittingly enough, around a Shabbat table.

Josh and Zach first met over a Shabbat meal. What began as a simple conversation soon grew into a friendship, and before long, a daily chavruta. As we learned together each day, our conversations often continued long after the sefer was closed—about family, life in Israel, business, and ideas for creating something meaningful together.

Eventually, one of those conversations turned to vanilla.

We realized that high-quality, pure vanilla extract in Israel was often far more expensive than it needed to be. For something that can make such a noticeable difference in baking, good vanilla shouldn't have to feel like a luxury.

That realization became our mission and the beginning of כרם שחור (Kerem Shachor).

Our goal is simple: make genuinely good vanilla more affordable and accessible, without compromising on quality.

We're starting here in Israel—our home—working to bring bakers, families, and businesses a rich, high-quality vanilla extract at a fair price.

But our vision doesn't end here.

What began with a Shabbat meal, grew through a daily chavruta, and turned into a shared idea now has a much bigger goal: to make great vanilla more accessible across Israel first, and eventually around the world.