MINNETONKA, Minn. — As families gather for games over the Thanksgiving holiday, chances are a good number of people will be playing mahjong (also sometimes spelled mah jongg).

Thanks to online platforms and social media, this game that was invented in 19th-century China is soaring in popularity with a whole new generation of players.

When tradesmen brought it to America in the 1920s, it became popular with Jewish women who standardized the American version of the game and founded the National Mah Jongg League.

Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman of Temple Israel grew up watching her older relatives play mahjong at family gatherings. Over the last few years, she's watched in amazement as that beloved family tradition has become a brand-new phenomenon with her parishioners and beyond.

She provided

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