What happens when you cross a menorah and a turkey?
\u00a9 Carly Hennigan\/Thinkstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Thanksgiving Meets Hanukkah<\/h2>\n

Once in a lifetime<\/em><\/p>\n

The very words\u2014once in a lifetime\u2014 stir the creative spirit.<\/p>\n

An exceptional comet. The first moon landing. A rare transit of Venus across the face of the sun. A new millenium.<\/p>\n

We are inspired to celebrate these rare moments and to capture them in some special way.<\/p>\n

This year, this week, for the first time in recorded history since President Lincoln established Thanksgiving in 1863\u2014and for the only time until around 77,000 years from now\u2014Thanksgiving and Hanukkah fall on the same day. Crossing cultures in the best possible way.<\/p>\n

Gobble tov. Happy Thanksgivukkah. Mazel turk.<\/p>\n

Asher Weintraub celebrates two of his favorite holidays.
\u00a9 The Menurkey Team<\/p><\/div>\n

The Mind of an Inventor<\/h4>\n

This rare merging of the Gregorian and Hebrew lunar calendars planted a seed in the inventive mind of 10-year-old Asher Weintraub.<\/p>\n

Asher was excited when his mom told him of this rare convergence of dates\u2014two memorable days of thanks on November 28.<\/p>\n

\u201cCool,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re two of my favorite holidays. There should be something to celebrate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

His Oh, I see moment<\/strong> brought him to\u00a0a unique combination of the two traditions\u2014the Hanukkah menorah, candles burning brightly, and the crispy warmth of a golden brown Thanksgiving turkey.<\/p>\n

What was his weird and wonderful vision? Was it Turkorah? Turkanukkah? No, not quite right.<\/p>\n

And then, with the sureness of a young Ogilvy (or Don Draper), Asher gave birth to the Menurkey.<\/p>\n

(His father offered the name “menorkey” but Asher was not swayed. Menurkey had just the right poetic ring.)<\/p>\n

A CAD Model of the Menurkey
\u00a9 The Menurkey Team<\/p><\/div>\n

The Menurkey<\/h4>\n

The world is filled with creative and beautifully designed menorahs, but Asher’s concept is a unique commemoration of the once-in-a-lifetime event. A menorah shaped like a turkey.<\/p>\n

His parents thought the Menurkey was a great idea. But dad and mom, Anthony and Caroline, also promote the philosophy of following through with ideas “because execution is such a big part of creating something.”<\/p>\n

Anthony says, “Ideas have inherent power, but they’re really just ideas until you develop them and pursue them.”<\/p>\n

Asher began to make sketches and turned to his skills with the 3D modeling program Tinkercad<\/i> to create the prototypes. MakerBot Studios did the 3D printing. Then, the family found a ceramic artist, Connie Smith, to create the prototypes in plasticene.<\/p>\n

“Asher gets passionate about a lot of things,” Anthony says. But this idea gained momentum fast. “There’s something about this hybridization of holidays\u2014two celebrations of religious freedom\u2014that captured people’s interest.”<\/p>\n

The plaster model of the Menurkey
\u00a9 The Menurkey Team<\/p><\/div>\n

A Kick Start<\/h4>\n

That interest went viral as the Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign attracted 820 backers in just 23 days. The Menurkey project raised $48,345 (nearly double the goal) to support initial production and marketing activities.<\/p>\n

And now, 703 lucky Kickstarter backers have received the finished menurkey in time for Thanksgivukkah. And many more customers have ordered a menurkey from the www.menurkey.com or purchased one from the Jewish Museum in New York.<\/p>\n

How many will the Menurkey Team produce?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe really don\u2019t have any set number,” says dad. “The short answer is we\u2019re trying to produce as many as people want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of the proceeds will go to charity; some to Asher’s college fund; and some, if Asher has his way, will buy a 3D printer for more experimentation.<\/p>\n

The limited-edition glazed Menurkey
\u00a9 The Menurkey Team<\/p><\/div>\n

The Menurkeys come in plain plaster (which can be painted as a Thanksgivukkah family project by one or more sets of creative hands) and in a limited-edition blue and white glazed version.<\/p>\n

Add to that a song written just for the occasion by The Dirty Sock Funtime Band and an app where you can light your Menurkey from a distance and you’re ready for the full celebration of Thanksgivukkah.<\/p>\n

Thanksgiving and Hanukkah
\n<\/i>Come light the Menurkey
\n<\/i>Once in a lifetime, the candles meet the turkey
\n<\/i>Our favorite traditions finally meet
\n<\/i>Stuffing and latkes oh what a treat<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>Your place is at the table, come have a seat
\n<\/i>Everyone is welcome, let’s light this bird and eat<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i>This is the first night, let’s shed a sweet light
\n<\/i>Now introducing . . . the Menurkey<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u2014From Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah (Introducing the Menurkey!) by The Dirty Sock Funtime Band<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Menurkeymania supply and demand
\u00a9 The Menurkey Team<\/p><\/div>\n

The Future<\/h4>\n

As for Asher’s future, his proud grandmother Judith sums it up wisely as she prepares a dinner for 14 to celebrate the two holidays, with a limited edition Menurkey gracing the center of the table.<\/p>\n

“He is now a 10-year-old New Yorker with an amazingly creative mind \u00a0so . . . who knows? \u00a0I hope he will continue to be innovative in whatever he decides to do.”<\/p>\n

Dad adds, “I\u2019m sure there is another product or two out there that\u2019s worthy of the moniker ‘brought to you by the people who brought you the Menurkey.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Once menurkeymania dies down, who knows what comes next. Stay tuned.<\/p>\n

And Happy Thanksgivukkah!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photographs from the Menurkey website<\/a>, Menurkey Kickstarter<\/a> campaign, and Menurkey Facebook<\/a> page.<\/em><\/p>\n

Additional information VIA The Jewish Week<\/a> and JewishBoston.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Comment<\/a>\u00a0on this post below, or inspire insight with your own\u00a0OIC Moment\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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