Jennie Hethwani is at the center of the clacking culture of mahjong, which is having a huge moment in Los Angeles
Jennie Jethwani teaches the wildly popular game mahjong at ultra-trendy spots all over Los AngelesCredit: Courtesy of Jennie Jethwani
Mahjong —yes, mahjong— is enjoying a modern resurgence, bringing traditions new and old to not just to kitchen and living rooms all over Los Angeles, but to some of the city’s toniest social clubs.
Jennie Jethwani is a mahjong master and is taking her teaching skills to people’s homes and places like the Soho House and Club Joyful in Venice, where she will be teaching next month in a mahjong and mingle event (tickets are still available). The game’s profile is surging and not just with older Asians; it was featured in the 2018 romantic comedy “Crazy Rich Asians, which featured a pivotal mahjong scene. “Mahjong is having a moment with everyone,” Jethwani said. “It’s a fantastic people connector, and I am seeing rising interest in the game among millennials and Gen Z who love the strategy.”
The game became wildly popular in China in the late 1800s, but in the centuries since, it has traveled the world. But this year, the U.S. has become mahjong-crazed, especially in Los Angeles, said Jethwani, who learned the game during the pandemic as a way to stay connected online with family all over the world. She wasn’t the only one. TikTok became inundated with videos of heated clacking tile games, and Jethwani was sought after for mahjong nights all over the place. “The scene started to get crazy, and now mahjong is everywhere,” she said.
There are Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Filipino, and American Jewish styles of the game; there are 13-tile and 16-tile versions; and every household has its own system regarding points and scoring. Better yet, the sets themselves are gorgeous, collectibles doubling as objets d’art for collectors.
“It’s a great way to make new friends and show people the benefits of playing on their brain health. I always loved teaching dance and naturally transitioned to teaching mahjong when I was asked to by Soho House,” Jethwani says. Now her business has exploded with requests for private events and one-on-one lessons.