Mah Jongg Isn’t Just a Game
It’s a Way of Life
For Jewish women playing mah jongg it's as inevitable as
complaining that you’re hungry on Yom Kippur.
The sounds of thick tiles clinking & calls of 'five crack,' 'two bam & 'six dot'
are ubiquitous at sisterhood events & facilities around cities in the US.
- For many of us, the memory of these sounds transport us to our childhood, when it was
mom’s or bubbe’s turn to host the game & that meant excellent snacks .
- Some of my fellow players recall fondly the sounds of mothers & grandmothers playing
as they drifted off to sleep. the tinkling of the tiles, the voices, the laughter.
- My introduction to mah jongg set came later in life, however.
- The women in my family did not play 'mahj' as so many Jewish-American players
nicknamed the game. My grandmother, for one, viewed mah jongg as a lesser pastime,
designed for those who couldn’t handle 'real' games like bridge or canasta.
A Chinese Pastime Became a Jewish Pastime
- Mah jongg became a popular American parlor game in the 1920s.
- So many people were playing & creating unique table rules that it became difficult to play
with others.
- In 1937, The Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, in 1937 had, 200 women, all Jewish, gathered to systematize the rules of the game & the National Mah Jongg League was born.
- The Americanized version differs from its Chinese forebears in a few ways, namely that
each year, the NMJL issues new scorecards, thus new winning combinations.
- There’s also the unique spelling of the game, why there are two g’s in the American version
is anyone’s guess.
- Many people think of mah jongg players as women over 60 .
- So, as a mother of grade school kids, when people learned that I play mah jongg, their most common reaction is, 'Aren’t you kinda young for that?'
- Everything old is new again,whether we are talking about vinyl, flannel, round glasses, or mah jongg, the biggest surprise is that we didn’t expect it.
Here Are 5 Things I’ve Learned By Playing mahj.
1. It’s Just ATile.
- My friend, taught our group to play four years ago & I can still hear her saying,'It’s
just a tile.'
- When she first dropped this wisdom, it was as if the Mona Lisa had found her voice &
spoken.
- If I have a tile in my hand, but I don’t know what it is or how to use it, then I probably don’t
need it.
- My friend taught me that 'it’s just a tile' & if it doesn’t do anything for me, I can probably
toss it.
2. Commit.
You Can Make Changes Later If Necessary.
- Deciding which of the 50 or so hands to pursue will shape the game in profound ways,
not unlike deciding who to marry.
- This decision will determine how you can pursue your goals, though luck does play a part,
too.
- Once you have a hand to play, you have a clear path forward.
- There will be times when you carry out your mission as planned & you win.
- You will be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment, admiration from your friends & in
some games, cold, hard cash (OK, OK, quarters).
- But there are other times when your mission, due to circumstances beyond your control, becomes impossible.
- That’s when a resilient player might change course.
- As we see middle-aged people divorcing & remarrying & reinventing themselves when
things don’t go as planned. So, in mah jongg as in life, do this: Commit. Revise. Recommi
& see #3, below.
3. Play The Hand You’re Dealt.
- One pretty tile does not make a winning hand, just as one latent ability does not make a successful career.
- Maybe you really enjoyed theater in grade school, but that does not mean you should
head straight to Broadway.
- Take stock of what you have & how it fits together to create some synergy.
- Squaring up the hand you wanted to play vs. the hand you have can take some doing,
both in mah jongg & in life, but it’s always important to work with what you’ve got.
4. Spread The Love & Knowledge.
- Teaching others the tips & tricks you’ve picked up along the way will ultimately be an advantage to you & to others.
- Sure, if all your fellow players can predict your moves, you might not be able to win by
bluffing, but you will have more people to play with.
- There will be more people hosting, teaching & playing & you will be adding more joy & connection to your circle.
- Same goes for any other hobbies or gifts you may have,pass it on!
5. Make It A Mitzvah.
- If you’re lucky, you have people in your circle, who takes what they love to the next level.
- After realizing that it would be so much easier for a bunch of tired moms to play in
pajamas, for example, a woman planned a pajama game night & turned it into a charity
event.
- Late last year, Pajama Game Night took place at a beautiful country club with around 200 players to benefit Sweet Dream Makers, a local charity.
- Due to her efforts & mah jongg, we helped provide more than 50 beds for needy families
in our community.
- Leave it to Jewish women to take up a popular Chinese game & use it to help make the
world a better place.
- You might think this is a game, but we’re not just playing around, mah jongg is a way of life.
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