Not quite a stocking stuffer

LIKE SANTA in his sleigh, here comes the Christiany season, when the small number of American non-Christians (Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Wiccans, Pagans, etc.) can feel a tad left out (along with "Bah, Humbug!" atheists, who cast themselves out). All nonbelievers must endure barrages of tinkly Christmas music, sparkling decor - and sales, already burning through retail like wildfire through Colorado.

Of the minorities mentioned above, Jews are the most numerous, but only 1.8 percent of the population. With numbers so small, it's quite amazing they have been able to take control of Wall Street, Hollywood, the media, Congress and the Lingerie Football League.

[Editor's Note: The above is an anti-Semitic canard.]

Jokes aside, Christmas can make some Jews feel like outsiders. Adults can handle it, but kids, particularly younger ones, may feel left out. That's one reason Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, has achieved prominence and is sometimes (erroneously) thought of as the "Jewish Christmas." Jews use Hanukkah as a counterweight to the Christmas overkill.

But the pure simplicity of the Hanukkah menorah couldn't stack up against the eye-popping, giant Christmas tree.

Until now.

Say "shalom" to the Menorah Tree, available for the first time, from the fertile minds of brothers Michael, 39, and Alex Patchen, 35, both Penn grads. (Michael majored in business and engineering, Alex in law.)

The first rule of business: Find a need and fill it. The Menorah Tree does that. (Check it out at menorahtree.com)

When I was a kid, I did want a Christmas tree, like half my friends had. My Jewish parents weren't keen on it, but never underestimate the power of pouting or whining. Oh! And getting good grades so the parents "owe" you. (I was bigger on the pouting and whining. The kid sister got the good grades.)

So Mom and Dad were blackmailed into putting up a small Christmas tree that we called a "Hanukkah Bush." I did the same for my kids when they were small, a Hanukkah Bush along with a lovely hanukkiyah, which is the proper name for the menorah.

Our Hanukkah Bush was a modest 3 feet high. The Patchens' Menorah Tree is an aluminum 6-footer. They named their company Festivity, funded it themselves and - this is big to me - found a manufacturer in the U.S.A. - in Lancaster, in fact.

This is their first year, and they have 1,000 units to ship.

The question is: Why?

Mike is married to Jenny, who is half Catholic and half Jewish. They decided to raise their children Jewish, "but after a year, I could tell she was wistful during the holidays - she wanted something big and colorful and festive in the house, in addition to the Hanukkah tradition," says Mike.

A conservative Jew, Mike finds Christmas trees beautiful but not right for him. He needed a creative solution.

So he and Alex bought some tree branches, some metal, locked themselves in a workshop and exited with a tall, thin menorah draped with branches. This was 2006.

"What it lacked in quality, it made up for in sheer size. It was beautiful," says Mike, adding that Jenny was very excited.

After a few years, and after many friends oohed and aahed at what the Patchens wrought, they decided to manufacture high-quality Menorah Trees for others.

The $295 price tag is more than competitive with large, artificial Christmas trees.

"I'm not looking to retire from this," laughs Mike, who is a financial-portfolio manager. "It's purely a labor of love."

And that's what Christmas and Hanukkah are all about.