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Learn to Play Mah Jongg This Summer

JL;DR SUMMARY Mahjong, the traditional tile game with roots in 19th-century China, remains a beloved pastime within Jewish communities, particularly amongst Jewish women. 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

Fran DrescherJewish CommunitiesJewish WomenKvellerBorscht BeltMahjongModern MahjongClassesCultural GamesJewish Pastimes

Places mentioned

China
"Have you always dreamed of playing mah jongg, the tile game invented in China in the 1800s that became all the rage in the Jewish Borscht Belt and at Jewish community centers in the 20th century?"

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Cairo Item ID 56467
Cairo Source ID 33
Retrieved 2025-07-09 05:31:04 UTC
Curated 2025-07-09 08:30:35 UTC