And the dragons are paired with specific suits. Mahjong tiles are composed of three suits (bam, crack, and dot). I may have been a bit too cavalier about learning mahjong, because I left those first three sessions dejected, sure that I would never learn how to play. It seemed like a nice way to meet new people, eat some snacks, and get out of the house. While my grandmothers did not, to the best of my knowledge, play the game, my interest in mahjong was piqued when I saw a flier advertising a 3-session learn-to-play course for young moms at my local Jewish Community Center. Many young Jewish people connect mahjong to memories of their grandmas playing with a posse of women, sharing gossip and building strong friendships while calling for cracks, bams, and dots. (The version popular among Jewish women has evolved significantly from the original Chinese game, to the point that it can now be considered a different game entirely). While mahjong gained popularity among Americans of all backgrounds in the 1920s, Jewish women in particular took to the game, gathering in groups of four in their bungalow colonies, hotels in the Catskills, and Lower East Side tenements. Mahjong (alternatively spelled mah-jongg) has a long history among Jewish women. In one sense, it’s my destiny to be a mahjong lover. A game that requires a fairly significant investment of time, as well as a square table I don’t own. A game so complicated that it took me 6 sessions with a professional to learn how to play.

It turns out I am obsessed with a game created in 19th century China. But everything changed the moment I discovered mahjong. Don’t tell my kids, but I really had to dig deep inside myself to summon the enthusiasm needed to play round after round of Scrabble, Trouble, and Monopoly Junior. I didn’t grow up playing family games of Twister or poker, and I don’t have much of a competitive streak.

I hope you enjoy Sara’s words as much as I did. When Sara told me she was interested in writing about mahjong for our “Raving Fans” series I couldn’t say yes fast enough. Dear Readers, it’s my pleasure to welcome MMD team member Sara Aeder to the blog for the first time! Sara serves as our What Should I Read Next community manager if you’re not active in our Patreon community you may not know her well and I’m happy to remedy that today.

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