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A massive mah jongg festival is coming to New York’s Museum of Jewish Heritage

JL;DR SUMMARY Mah jongg, historically a popular pastime among Jewish women, is experiencing a resurgence in the U.S., reinvigorated during the COVID-19 pandemic. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

New York CityJewish HeritageCommunityFestivalCultural IdentityJewish WomenNational Mah Jongg LeagueChinese CultureMah JonggModern Mahjong

Places mentioned

New York City, New York, United States
"and now, at the height of the craze, 70 Faces Media, together with our partner site, Kveller, and the founders of Modern Mahjong, will host New York Citys first-ever New York Jewish Mah Jongg Festival this Sunday and Monday, June 28 and 29, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan (36 Battery Place)."
Shanghai, China
"It first became popular on American shores in the 1920s thanks to Joseph Babcock, an American businessman who learned the game while living in Shanghai."
Bay Area, California, United States
"a Chinese-American Jewish woman who lived in Israel for several years will be speaking on a panel discussion about the various cultural perspectives on the game on Sunday, along with Sara Loffman, a co-founder of the small business Challah Back Girls, and Sokie Lee, a mah jongg instructor who frequently works with The Museum of Chinese in America."
Israel
"who lived in Israel for several years will be speaking on a panel discussion about the various cultural perspectives on the game on Sunday, along with Sara Loffman, a co-founder of the small business Challah Back Girls,"

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Cairo Item ID 86042
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Retrieved 2026-06-24 18:00:44 UTC
Curated 2026-06-24 19:00:57 UTC