Meet The Fam!
Risa
Chandler
Chandler
Risa is the matriarch of the family. She has been playing Mahj for more than 40 years. She was taught by her mother (Cyrena), who was taught by her mother (Jenette), who was taught by her mother (Esther). In our family, it is a “Jewish right of passage” to learn to play.
Chandler
Chandler
Chandler
Chandler is Risa’s daughter. She was taught Mahj at the age of 12. While she enjoyed playing the game, she didn’t play nearly as often as a child, as she does since meeting Jake at a Mahj Tournament. The two of them became competitive, while falling in love, and now Chandler is as obsessed with Mahj as Jake is!
Jake
Chandler
Jake
Jake is Chandler’s fiancé. They will be married in August of 2026. Jake hails from Queens, NY and learned at age 18 by watching “the old ladies at the pool club”. No one else in his family knew how to play. Jake is competitive by nature and for years had been attending Mahjongg Tournaments around the United States.
While everyone in our family has their own homes and lives, Sunday is “family day”. Every Sunday, as far back as we can remember, we gather together around the electric Mahj table for nosh, banter, and (somewhat) friendly competition. Risa’s husband Stuart begrudgingly plays as long as he has a beer in hand, and Risa’s first-born adult son Ryley, who has been playing since the age of 9, gives Jake a run for his money. Both are WAY TOO COMPETITIVE for Risa’s liking. Many F-bombs and threats all in good cheer are thrown at Sunday get-togethers.
In 2025 since Jake’s family had no history of Mahjonggers, we have collectively created two new Mahj-a-holics, one of which is his mother, Shari. She has become as obsessed as the rest of us.
As if Mahjongg is not our entire life, on a personal level, we have been significantly involved for the past 30 years in Dalmatian Rescue.