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Learn to Play Mah Jongg
This multi-session class is perfect for Mah Jongg beginners or those who need a refresher course. Learn the game using the National Mah Jongg League rules. No experience is necessary. A current-year Mah Jongg card will be provided. Register online or you can call the JCC (504) 897-0143 to register over the phone or get on the waiting list. You MUST be able to attend the very first class in order to register for the series.
All classes are $100 for members | $125 for non-members
September 1 - 10 (Uptown)
Tuesday, Thursday | 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Instructor: Sara
Harriet Kugler Memorial Mah Jongg Tournament
Save the Date: Sunday, January 24, 2027 | 9 AM - 3 PM
Harriet Wainer Kugler was a longtime member, friend, and employee of the JCC. She was our first Mah Jongg class instructor and initiated our Annual Tournament. Sadly, she was taken from us too soon, but her memory and legacy continue through the annual Harriet W. Kugler Memorial Mah Jongg Tournament, now in its fourteenth year.
Anyone who knows how to play is welcome to register, whether you are just starting out or a seasoned player. Join us solo or with friends for a fun day of Mah Jongg, complete with snacks, coffee, lunch, and both cash and door prizes.
The games will be played according to the National Mah Jongg League rules, using the current year NMJL card. Participants MUST bring their own card.
Tickets cost $72 for JCC members and $90 per non-members. Price includes registration and entry for a chance to win a door prize. Receive additional door prize chances with every $25 donation.
This is a four-round tournament. Depending on the skill level at each table, each round will consist of 3 to 4 games. Participants will rotate tables upon completion of each round.
Through guided meditation and brief exercises, participants will learn to develop mindfulness that will help them experience the present moment during everyday activities. Although no specific outcome is promised, participants typically report feeling more focused, more “in-tune” with themselves and others. In addition, research suggests significant beneficial effects in dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, chronic pain, and diabetes.
About the Instructor: Dr. Jayashree Rao is a retired pediatric endocrinologist, who spent thirty years teaching, researching, and practicing medicine at LSU Health Sciences Center and Children’s Hospital. For the past several years, Dr. Rao has practiced and led others in practicing mindfulness, employing techniques learned in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course offered by Dr. Dave Potter.
This class will meet every Wednesday from August 5-September 30, 2026 and is free and open to the community.
Your fall 2026 courses are here!
J University is for community members interested in continuing their education and engaging in lifelong learning. In addition to the educational benefits, these classes provide a wonderful opportunity to connect with peers and be part of a vibrant learning community.
The Book of Judges: Violence, Leadership, and the Struggle for Israel
Instructor: Dr. Jason Gaines, Tulane University
The Book of Judges contains some of the Hebrew Bible’s most vivid—and disturbing—stories: Deborah and Yael defeat an enemy general, Jephthah sacrifices his daughter, and Samson battles the Philistines. Set before Israel’s monarchy, the book portrays a society divided by tribal loyalties, threatened by neighboring peoples, and repeatedly undone by violence.
We will study Judges in its ancient Near Eastern and historical contexts, exploring what archaeology reveals about early Israel and how these traditions developed over time. We will also examine the book’s literary artistry and its troubling portrayals of women, warfare, political authority, religion, and ethnic identity. No prior knowledge is required.
Mondays, October 5 - November 2 | 5:30 - 6:30 PM
$125 Members | $150 Non-Members (5 Classes)
REGISTRATION COMING SOON
The American Jewish Experience in World War II
Instructor: Dr. Sean Scanlon, National WWII Museum
World War II was the largest war in history and saw unprecedented levels of civilian and military mobilization across the world and in the United States. Of the more than 16 million Americans who served in uniform during the war, more than 550,000 of them were Jewish men and women
who served their country in every branch of the military, and in every possible role. Countless others supported the war effort in a wide range of ways, from working in war industries to assisting Jewish servicemen and women stationed far from home.
This course, taught by Dr. Sean Scanlon, a military historian at the National WWII Museum, will explore the American Jewish experience of the Second World War across four sessions. During those sessions, we will cover themes such as the state of American Jewish life on the eve of World War II and the history of American Jewish military service before World War II; the Jewish American experience in uniform; the American Jewish experience on the Homefront; and the end of World War II and its legacy in the American Jewish community.
Wednesdays, October 7 - 28 | 4:30 - 5:30 PM
$100 Members | $125 Non-Members (4 Classes)
REGISTRATION COMING SOON
Stressed? If you're feeling it, chances are your child is feeling it too. You know the signs; when your mind starts racing and your heartbeat starts racing, your tendency is to get louder and faster. But what you and your body and your child need is for things to slow down and start making sense.
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Members can now access Online Member Services on mobile devices by downloading the New Orleans JCC app in the App Store or Google Play.
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