Spirituality
ON THE COVER
Making Chanukah Shine from page A31
David. Pereira mans the huge torch he uses to make his menorahs.
The gift received a great response.
"We really didn't know that David was
so artistically inclined until he made his
first menorah," Fitlow said. "He told us he
was making it, but would not show it to
anyone until the party. We were all amazed
by his creativity."
After that, Pereira said, "I promised
when we all got together the following year
I would make one that was even better. So
now every year, I try to out-do myself"
That first year, he made the gift meno-
rah and two others. The second year, he
made five or six, sharing them with close
friends and family. "Then all my family
started asking where theirs were, so I had
to make more Pereira said. "This year, I
had a production run of 20."
His gift list stays pretty much the same
from year to year so the menorahs have to
always be new and different.
"I start coming up with ideas in August;'
he said. "I come up with some crazy ideas,
which become more complicated every year."
The menorahs are made of various
materials, including different grades of
steel or aluminum leftover from busi-
ness production. "One year I used scrap
left from a job — that was actually bullet
proof;' he said, stressing that his menorahs
are all made from leftover materials.
Materials, Colors And Tools
Some of Pereira's menorahs are a raw,
natural, metal color. Sometimes they are
treated with a gloss or sprayed a color.
Pereira is partial to the industrial look.
His aluminum menorahs are anodized
— chemically coated with a protective
film — so they don't oxidize on the hands.
Every single one is handmade. "Each
year's group of menorahs may look the
same, and may follow the same design, but
they are not mass produced:' Pereira said.
'After the pieces are cut and drilled or
punched out, they are assembled by hand:'
Using equipment including punch
machines, welding machines and a huge
"fire-breathing" torch, a prototype is cre-
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December 25 ® 2008
ated before the design is finalized.
"After I come up with an idea, I take it
to my engineering department so they can
tell me if it will work:' Pereira said.
Sometimes, the plans need revamping.
"Like last year, when we discovered the
final product would be a menorah that
was way too heavy and we had to figure
how to shave a good 10 pounds off of it,"
Pereira said.
Pereira's work is done in the factory at
Minowitz, which, when menorahs are not
being produced, is actually an industrial
manufacturer. The company supplies
electrical and mechanical components,
assemblies and kits for the aerospace,
agriculture, automotive, communications,
construction, defense, marine and trans-
portation industries.
The business is owned by Pereira's
father, Paul, and was founded by his late
great-uncle Abraham Minowitz, who made
the menorah that still sits in David's office.
That menorah is one of 150 Minowitz
produced many years ago to be given as
gifts to donors of Beth Shalom's religious
school. Pereira also has one of the meno-
rahs in his home.
"They were created based on a logo
used by the synagogue 40 or 50 years age
said Rabbi David Nelson of Beth Shalom,
where Pereira has longtime family roots.
"More recently, I asked local artist Jay
Lefkowitz to take the logo and make a
wooden model from it!"
He then gave the model to Minowitz to
make the series of menorahs out of metal.
"Even before that, Abe donated a cha-
nukiah (nine-branched Chanukah meno-
rah) to the synagogue Nelson said. "It still
sits on our bimah."
The menorah had been located in Brazil
by Nelson and purchased from an antique
dealer by Minowitz, who then donated it
to the synagogue in memory of Minowitz's
wife's parents.
The family hand also was involved in
the making of the ark that stands in the
Beth Shalom sanctuary.
Handmade menorahs crafted from scrap metal by Pereira
"Because of his artistic talent, David
was asked to work with metal artist Mark
Belchenko on the metal doors of the ark:'
Nelson said.
Menorahs Everywhere
In addition to being a menorah artisan,
Pereira is also a menorah collector. "I have
a slew of menorahs in my office he said.
A few are his own creations, but most
of the 25 or 30 came from other places,
including from Nelson, who is a Judaica
collector and has several of Pereira's
menorahs in his collection.
Pereira also repairs Judaic items, includ-
ing those brought to him by Nelson, who
says the tradition began with Minowitz.
"Sometimes he'll bring me a menorah
to repair; and then he'll say, `If you like it,
keep it," Pereira said.
Pereira has a special collection of
his own menorahs exhibited in the
Birmingham home he shares with his
wife Tammy and children, Jakob, 41/2, and
Sydney, 2."I always keep the first one from
each year:' he said. "It's always the most
messed up one because it's the prototype
At the Pereira home this Chanukah,
two menorahs are being lit, one chosen by
each of the children from among Pereira's
creations.
Many of Pereira's gift recipients also dis-
play the menorahs, including Fitlow and
his wife Sally, who keep their four Pereira-
made menorahs in a cabinet in their living
room. "Our favorites are the ones that can
be used as Shabbat candlesticks as well as
menorahs;' Fitlow said.
The feature, which will continue into
future years' menorahs, includes a special
area for use on Shabbat.
"I decided I wanted everybody to be
able to use them every week, so I designed
the menorahs so when you flip them
upside down there are two holes on the
bottom to put Shabbat candles into;'
Pereira said. "This year's menorah is a
puzzle, so it's a game to find out where the
candleholders are."
Considering the possibility of selling
his menorahs, Pereira said, "The thought
is there, but for now I make them only to
give as gifts."
And that's part of the joy, said Nelson.
"David is so clever and talented:' he
said. "He is a wonderful young man, atten-
tive to his business, a wonderful father
and husband. He has a fabulous, sensitive
Jewish soul that is nurtured and driven by
his creativity, and he really loves to make
chanukiot — and loves sharing them with
others."
To view Pereira's menorahs, access
the Web site at
menorahsbydavid.com .