Temple game night raises money for Bethany House

About 70 residents gathered together at Temple B’nai Sholom-Beth David on July 25 to compete against each other in Mahjongg and raise money in the process.

“We were joking [that] because it was so successful, that may have been the first annual,” said Alyce Goodstein, the event co-chair. The night garnered a few thousand dollars, she added, which was split between the temple and Bethany House, a non-profit agency in Roosevelt that helps homeless women and children. “This was the first time that we’ve partnered with Bethany House and it really was a very successful evening.”

Temple members have been playing Mahjongg, a tile game that originated in China, every week since about 2010, according to Goodstein. In January, attendance boomed with the help of social media, and B’nai Sholom-Beth David hired an instructor to teach the additional residents interested in learning.

One of the Mahjongg regulars, who is involved with Bethany House, had the idea of making the game night into a fundraiser. The synagogue helped make that happen, as the event featured raffles, a Chinese buffet and plenty of competitive play, showing off the game that has become a weekly ritual for many temple members.

“We have now this nice group within the community from a simple Facebook post,” Goodstein said, adding that many non-Jews started attending this year. “It’s so nice that the community now is involved in our synagogue and really part of our community.”

For residents interested in playing Mahjongg on Tuesday nights, call Temple B’nai Sholom-Beth David at (516) 764-4100.