My grandmother, “Nana Ray,” died more than 20 years ago but recently I found a new connection with her. My mom, Sandy Stern, and I learned how to play mahj about a year ago. My mom recalls her mother, Nana…

My grandmother, “Nana Ray,” died more than 20 years ago but recently I found a new connection with her. My mom, Sandy Stern, and I learned how to play mahj about a year ago. My mom recalls her mother, Nana…

Through a series of happy circumstances, I own six vintage mah-jongg sets and a handful of old National Mah-Jongg League’s Official Hands and Rules cards. An antique cigar tin on my coffee table is chock-full of sublime butterscotch mahj tiles.…

Through a series of happy circumstances, I own six vintage mah-jongg sets and a handful of old National Mah-Jongg League’s Official Hands and Rules cards. An antique cigar tin on my coffee table is chock-full of sublime butterscotch mahj tiles.…

1935.  I was five years old.  My job when my mother hosted her mahj game was to place a little piece of thin paper in the rolling machine, place a pinch of tobacco along-side, then roll and paste each one…

I was born in November of 1934.  Mah jongg is one of my first and fondest memories. Falling asleep at night to the clicking of the tiles and the murmur of the voices of my mother and her friends playing…

I was born in November of 1934.  Mah jongg is one of my first and fondest memories. Falling asleep at night to the clicking of the tiles and the murmur of the voices of my mother and her friends playing…

Several years ago a good friend moved back to town and invited me to learn to play mahj with her group. These mavens probably had 100 years of experience among them and they truly were excellent teachers. As I evolved…

Several years ago a good friend moved back to town and invited me to learn to play mahj with her group. These mavens probably had 100 years of experience among them and they truly were excellent teachers. As I evolved…

My first memories of the game were at a very early age (8 or 9 years old) when I visited my beloved grandmother Mildred every spring in Miami Beach.  On some nights, she instructed me to watch TV in the…