Mahjong Lessons…and Lessons from Mahjong

Most Jewish American women of a certain age know that the Charleston is not just a dance from the 20s, but that it is also one of the steps in the game of Mahjong. Of course there are some Jewish women, like myself, who have never played Mahjong, but most have at least heard of it, and likely know others who do or did play. Certainly over the years Handmaker Jewish Services for the Aging has been home to many Mahjong players and games. So when a group of current residents in the Rubin Assisted Living Neighborhood at Handmaker asked for my help in getting a game together last month, I thought it might be time to offer a Mahjong learning experience for them, and for myself.

Initially, this group of aspiring Mahjong players seemed to vary greatly in their game playing proficiency. Each had some experience playing somewhere in their past, but while some just wanted a reminder of the rules, others felt that they needed lessons on the basics of play. There were a few more experienced players who tried to teach the others during the first few gatherings, but when I sat with them during one of these lessons, I noticed that there was not complete agreement about some of the rules of play, and things seemed to get a little tense over it. I had not realized what serious business Mahjong was to some of them, and quickly recognized that they needed a referee, or perhaps just an impartial teacher.

Knowing my own shortcomings when it came to my understanding of the game, I quickly turned to our wonderful Jewish community. I knew that there had to be a Mahjong maven out there who would be willing and able to help us out. So, I reached out to a few local congregations and friends to see if anyone knew anyone. Of course they did. I was given several names to try, but only one was available to help immediately, and that someone was Rochelle. With the many layers of connections that we uncovered between the two of us, and Handmaker, I knew almost immediately that we had found our teacher.

So, now we are all learning, or re-learning, the game of Mahjong, with Rochelle’s wonderful and patient help, as we also learn more about each other. It’s great to see residents enjoying remembering how to play, as Rochelle gently coaches them, and get a glimpse into their pasts. To watch the confidence grow in a resident who has been going through some challenging times and to see the competitive side of another resident who generally has shown only her more timid side has been eye opening. And everyone seems to be connecting with one another at a different level than ever before.

After learning and playing for the last month with this wonderful group of women, it’s not at all surprising to me that this game has been so popular for so many generations. I have seen how it can bring people together, and the complexity and competitiveness of this game of skill certainly has a way of keeping you coming back for more.

Curious to learn more about how and why this game came to be so popular among Jewish-American women, I did a little internet research. It seems that the game of Mahjong started in China sometime in the mid- or late-1800s, which coincided with China’s opening to foreign traders. It is believed that American tourists likely brought the game to the United States in the 1920s (maybe that is why the Charleston is a move in the American version?). In American Chinatowns, Mahjong was a popular way for Chinese-Americans to bond in the 1920s and 30s during a time when other Americans saw them as foreigners. Mahjong may have also become trendy with Jewish-American women for similar reasons. As many families moved out to the suburbs around World War II, getting together to play Mahjong may have helped “housewives” to build social networks, countering the feelings of isolation that they may have felt in the new more spread-out suburban areas. But why was it so popular with Jewish women in particular? According to Ruth Unger, past president of National Mahjong League (NMJL), Mahjong was a money-making endeavor for Jewish organizations, mainly for Synagogue Sisterhoods and Hadassah chapters, who sold Mahjong rule cards and received donations from the NMJL. In order to sell enough cards, they had to keep people interested in playing the game, so they continued to teach Mahjong to their members and keep the game popular. I am not sure if it is still a money-making endeavor today, but I am sure that the game is still being played, even by the younger generations.

And once I started learning and playing the game with the Handmaker residents, it became clearer to me why it is still somewhat popular. This game has been challenging our minds, stimulating our memories, and has brought us together. That’s not to say that everyone at our Mahjong table is going to see eye to eye all the time, it is a competitive game after all. But as we are learning how to play the game, we are enjoying learning about each other, and hopefully we will continue to do so together for many more years.