{"id":185817,"date":"2026-03-10T15:59:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:59:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/185817\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T15:59:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:59:24","slug":"mah-jongg-madness-hits-miami-aventura-magazine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/185817\/","title":{"rendered":"Mah-Jongg Madness Hits Miami – Aventura Magazine."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Che\u0301shonaChe\u0301shona Shapiro, Maggi Van Der Poel, Lana Bernstein, and Mia Glick get together for mah-jongg. Photo by Lauren Alexis Rodriguez<\/p>\n

If it feels like everyone in Miami is suddenly playing mah-jongg, it\u2019s because they are. Moms share meetup invites at school drop-offs. The posh members\u2019 club at The Moore hosts a weekly open play on Monday evenings. The funky ceramics collective Ocisly introduced a make-your-own game-set class, which sold out within four hours. A local tournament at a Miami Beach synagogue had to set up extra tables to accommodate overflow crowds.<\/p>\n

Miami has always been a city that loves whatever is in vogue, so it should come as no surprise that if there\u2019s a mah-jongg wave sweeping the nation, Miami is getting in on the tile-clacking. The so-called \u201cgranny game\u201d has gotten a Miami-style glow-up, with $1,500 sets and private-chef-catered game nights\u2014par for the course in a city that rewards splashy, maximalist moments.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe tile-based game is originally from China but was \u201cAmericanized\u201d in the 1920s. Photo by Lauren Alexis Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Mah-jongg originated in China during the mid-nineteenth century and gained popularity with the American upper classes in the 1920s, when businessman Joseph Babcock Americanized a version of the pastime. In the 1950s, the tradition spread within Jewish women\u2019s networks, most notably in the Catskills. The kinship between Miami and the Catskills is well-established, and until recently, mah-jongg thrived among the city\u2019s senior set.<\/p>\n

\"MiaMia Glick has been teaching mah-jongg for a decade, from private homes to friendly competitions. Photo by Lauren Alexis Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Interest in mah-jongg surged during the COVID pandemic, driven by the influx of New Yorkers, social media, the soothing nature of the tiles, and networking opportunities. Celebrity fans\u2014including Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, and Kelly Ripa\u2014only added to the cultural cachet. The National Mah-Jongg League today claims more than 400,000 members, based on sales of its annual card, which acts as a kind of playbook, with rules and different hand patterns introduced each year to keep the practice fresh.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat personally drew me to it was that I found myself sitting at home during the pandemic, watching Netflix, doom-scrolling, and feeling like I lacked community,\u201d explains fashion blogger Maria Tettamanti. \u201cI wasn\u2019t using my brain, and mah-jongg just felt like the perfect fit. Between padel, pickleball, knitting, and cross-stitching, mah-jongg was the hobby that spoke to me the most. So, I decided to get three friends together and take lessons, and that\u2019s how we learned.\u201d<\/p>\n

The social aspect of the game is what hooked writer and actress Jill Kargman. The self-professed \u201cmah-jongg slut\u201d even found time to play while in town promoting her film Influenced at the Miami Jewish Film Festival, drawn to the social ritual it creates. \u201cIt\u2019s about community,\u201d Kargman explains. \u201cI\u2019m bitching or gossiping, socializing, and being with my girls. Our phones are down, and it\u2019s about conversation and challenge. Plus, you\u2019re also staving off dementia because of the pattern recognition.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Che\u0301shonaChe\u0301shona Shapiro, Maggi Van Der Poel, Lana Bernstein, and Mia Glick. Photo by Lauren Alexis Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Many Miamians are similarly drawn to the cognitive benefits of the tile-based pastime, which research has linked to improved brain health in older adults, including better memory, attention, and problem-solving skills, and the potential to slow cognitive decline by engaging in complex processes such as pattern recognition and strategy.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe board. Photo by Lauren Alexis Rodriguez<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mother-in-law passed away three years ago with Alzheimer\u2019s, and there\u2019s all this research on how board games and mah-jongg are stimulating for neurodegenerative issues,\u201d explains publicist Lana Bernstein, who plays in a weekly group. \u201cI thought this would be a good idea, even though I don\u2019t have any degenerative issues in my family. It wasn\u2019t super easy to learn, but I stuck with it because it was a fun group to play with, and it\u2019s been entertaining ever since.\u201d<\/p>\n

One thing is for sure\u2014mah-jongg is a complicated and initially confusing pursuit. Mia Glick, a former model, yoga teacher, and now mah-jongg maestro, went from teaching classes at the Miami Beach JCC to maintaining a full roster of private students who keep her zigzagging across the city. \u201cI tell people playing mah-jongg is like patting your head, rubbing your stomach, and stomping your feet at the same time,\u201d Glick says with a laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt takes time to see the value of the game,\u201d Glick continues. \u201cThere\u2019s a click that happens, but sometimes it can take up to four lessons for that to happen.\u201d She emphasizes that mah-jongg can evolve into an almost hallowed ritual that gives players a sense of belonging and consistency, noting that she had a regular group she played with for 10 years. \u201cIt becomes a sacred time in your week, where you know that on a specific day you\u2019re going to be meeting with the same friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mah-jonggMah-jongg is underway. Photo by Lauren Alexis Rodriguez<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a chance to show off your tile tactics. On March 5, the Miami Beach JCC hosted a mah-jongg tournament spearheaded by Bernstein and Glick. Designed for both beginners and advanced players, the event offered a welcoming introduction to tournament-style play while reinforcing the social ritual at the heart of the pastime.<\/p>\n

For a more low-key experience, there\u2019s Stack\u2019d Society in North Miami, the city\u2019s first mah-jongg members\u2019 club and lounge. Created by mah-jongg aficionados Dana Segal and Shana Benhayoun, Stack\u2019d Society is a stylish space outfitted with multiple game tables dressed in batik tablecloths and colorful mah-jongg sets, upholstered chairs, and a lounge area with potted orchids and soothing design elements.<\/p>\n

\"Mah-jongg\u2019sMah-jongg\u2019s intricate rules, ever-changing hands, and new cards issued every year keep the game mentally stimulating and engaging. Photo by Lauren Alexis Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Originally, Benhayoun was hosting classes on an informal basis at her main business, SBT Stitches, a personalization store that specializes in high-quality embroidery and gifts. \u201cI\u2019d been playing mah-jongg for years, but I was playing with older ladies, and I wanted to find people my own age to play with,\u201d says Benhayoun, who is in her thirties and has two small children. \u201cI introduced mah-jongg classes at my store and started teaching people on a monthly basis. Then I began hosting free weekly games, and they blew up. I had anywhere from five to 10 tables of players every Wednesday night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Che\u0301shonaChe\u0301shona Shapiro. Photo by Lauren Alexis Rodriguez<\/p>\n

Segal became a regular and eventually proposed that the two open a space together. The duo designed Stack\u2019d Society to be a neighborhood \u201cthird place,\u201d where members can connect and build community through the simple joy of play. The club isn\u2019t limited to mah-jongg\u2014they also offer canasta classes\u2014and there are plans for an after-school program for kids and charity events.<\/p>\n

For busy Miami socialites tired of the lunching-ladies scene, this moment offers a stimulating new option. And for many of these women\u2014who are CEOs of their home lives and have a talent for turning overwhelming situations into manageable structures through proactive organization\u2014mah-jongg is perfectly suited to occupy a great deal of brain bandwidth, with the added benefit of sensory stimulation. <\/p>\n

\u201cI love the ritual because it\u2019s all about making sense out of chaos,\u201d says Segal. \u201cYou get your tiles, and it\u2019s chaotic and you don\u2019t know what to do. Then suddenly you need to make sense and come up with the lines. It\u2019s kind of like what\u2019s happening in life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"MahjMahj Market taps into the game\u2019s latest trend with a chic rental concept. Photo by Lauren Alexis RodriguezMahj Market<\/a><\/p>\n

Launched last fall by Miami moms and mah-jongg players Courtney Zinn and Jessie Veador, Mahj Market taps into the game\u2019s latest trend with a chic rental concept. The company offers everything needed for play\u2014tiles, racks, tables, and mats\u2014for private parties, nonprofit and corporate events, brand activations, and more. Individual rentals are also available for visitors from out of town, whether they\u2019re in Miami for a week or a long weekend. The curated selection features high-end sets from brands like Oh My Mahjong, Peace Love Mahjong, and My Fair Mahjong, with vibrant, rustic, and tropical designs and customization for every occasion\u2014including a Labubu-themed mat.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Che\u0301shona Shapiro, Maggi Van Der Poel, Lana Bernstein, and Mia Glick get together for mah-jongg. Photo by Lauren…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":185818,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[225,227,226],"class_list":["post-185817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-hialeah","tag-hialeah","tag-hialeah-headlines","tag-hialeah-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185817\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}