At the Table
A six-week class grows to 100 players a week in Mount Laurel
The mah jongg program at Adath Emanu-El started with one beginner class in 2019 and now fills two open play sessions every week, according to the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent.
Adath Emanu-El in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, began teaching mah jongg with a six-week introductory class in 2019, the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent reported on October 21. Between 100 and 150 players now gather there each week, per the report.
Open play runs on Monday afternoons and Thursday evenings, and a four-week beginner course is offered each season. The Exponent says the program is open to the whole community, not only synagogue members, and that sessions are reasonably priced, with snacks provided.
Diane Singer, who offered to teach the game before the pandemic, oversees the programming, and about 10 volunteers help teach new players and assist at the tables, according to the article. The synagogue's Sisterhood also runs tournaments, and Singer organizes themed competitions and special events.
Singer told the Exponent that the game's appeal comes from a mix of social time, strategy and chance.