Jews and Mah Jongg

1 Bam, 2 Crack, 8 Dot. Music to the ears of Mah Jongg players all over the world. The clacking of tiles and accompanying kibbitzing is like no other experience. American Jewish women are especially fond of the Chinese tile game. Why is that? And how do you play the social game?

The history of Mah Jongg is not totally known, but it is likely over 200 years old and originated in provinces near Shanghai, China during the Qing dynasty. Mah Jongg means "chattering sparrows", likely a reference to the sound the tiles make as you shuffle them. In the early 1900s, the tile game was played throughout China and became even more popular than chess. In 1920, the game was imported to the United States and today, hundreds of thousands of Americans (many of them Jewish women) enjoy playing Mah Jongg for hours on end.

No one knows exactly why Mah Jongg became so popular with Jewish women, but there are several theories. It was a wonderful way to form friendships, either in your own neighborhood or on vacation in places like the Borscht Belt in the Catskills. Oftentimes, the men of the house were either off to war or working, so this filled the hours for women who were in need of socializing and connections. There were even special foods served during a lively game of Mah Jongg: bridge mix, cut up pineapple, walnuts and raisins, and of course the ever-present Entenmann's coffee cake. Kids would watch their mothers and grandmothers play and eventually, they too became skilled players.

Today, a whole new generation is playing and in an age of social media, it is a welcome respite to just sit, talk and play; sharing tales of parents, children, and the latest episode of the Bachelor.