Shalom Chicago
Member pricing applies to Museum and Spertus Institute members.
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Event Listing
Mah Jongg May
One table, 152 tiles, four players, plenty of snacks, and all the neighborhood gossip you can handle. Play the ancient Chinese game of Mah Jongg, as popularized by Jewish-American women in the early twentieth century. We are devoting the entire month of May to this game of strategy and luck!
Chinese Roots of Mah Jongg
Tuesday, May 21, 6:30–8:00 p.m.
In this discussion of the cross-cultural love of Mah Jongg, the Chicago Chinese community shares its history and connection with “M. J.” over kosher tea. We’ll also talk about differences in methods of play, and the game’s important role in both the Jewish and the Chinese American communities.
Speakers: Ram Moy learned how to play Mah Jongg at age twelve in Hong Kong. Currently he plays a more challenging version called Shanghai or Taiwan style. Stephanie Victor is a member of the National Council of Jewish Women and has played Mah Jongg for over twelve years in various National League tournaments.
Cost: $10, $8 members
This program is in collaboration with the Chinese-American Museum of Chicago
Mah Jongg Open Play
Sunday, May 26, 2:00–5:00 p.m.
Already a player? Bring your Mah Jongg group to the North and Clark Café this May.
Learn Mah Jongg
Take a class! Sign up on your own, or bring three of your closest friends to play this lively game. Each course includes both dates listed. Game materials will be provided. Pre-registration is required.
Sunday, May 19, 1:00–4:00 p.m. and Monday, May 20, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
Cost: $40, $30 members; includes a souvenir copy of the National Mah Jongg League's 2013 Official Hands and Rules
Shalom Sundays for Families
Join us on select Sundays for programming inspired by events held at the historic Jewish People’s Institute.
Cost: Children 12 and under are free. Adults are free with Museum admission.
Kosher Backyard BBQ Demo
Sunday, June 9, 12:00–4:00 p.m.
Kick off the summer with a kosher BBQ in the Museum’s backyard! Watch a demonstration from Chicago Tailgators: they’ll show us how to make three different delicious sliders. Play picnic-table crafts and enjoy backyard games. Sliders will be available for purchase.
Taste and Tour!
Indulge your senses this summer and explore Jewish stories through sacred spaces and neighborhood bites.
Nosh and Kibitz: A Neighborhood Trolley and Walking Tour
Sunday, July 21, 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Nourish your body and your mind! Sample neighborhood histories and food at a variety of kosher restaurants in Skokie. Explore the once-vibrant Jewish neighborhood on Devon Avenue, now home to a mix of cultures and identities.
Cost: $55, $50 members
The Synagogue Speaks
Sunday, August 11, 1:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Expert tour guide and architectural historian Rolf Achilles leads a bus tour of Chicago-area synagogues. From balustrades to bimahs, explore architecture, art, and sacred stories from the oldest synagogue to the most modern.
Cost: $55, $50 members
Jewish Theater Series
Immerse yourself in Jewish theater at the Museum.
The Music of Jewish Chicago, 1893–1940
This event has been postponed.
Explore the music of Jewish Chicago from Gemutlichkeit to Yiddishkeit. Produced by Cantor Deborah Bard, Emerita, KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, this celebration of song captures sounds from the streets and temples of historic Chicago.
Shalom Chicago programs are generously supported by The Covenant Foundation
