Interested in learning American Mah Jongg? Sign up for this series of four weekly lessons led by Deborah Bloch, an NBV neighbor and avid Mah Jongg player.

Mah Jongg is a tile-based game developed in the 19th century in China and has spread throughout the world. It is a game of skill, strategy, and luck.

In these lessons, you will learn standard American Mah Jongg according to National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules. After attending this series of classes, you are welcome to join weekly sessions of open Mah Jongg play held at Davis library on Tuesday afternoons..

The class is scheduled for four consecutive Wednesdays, 1-3pm: April 23, April 30, May 7, May 14. The cost of the class includes the 2025 NMJL card ($15).

We will meet in the lower level meeting room at Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda.

Note: Session size is limited to the first 12 participants who register.  

Register at: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/american-mah-jongg-class

Any questions? Please contact Deborah at bloch.jawetz@gmail.com.

Do you play American mah jongg? Then come join the fun. We play by National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules. Bring your 2024 NMJL card; we’ll provide the sets. We will try to group by level, but we urge patience and encouragement for our beginning players.

We meet in the lower level meeting room at Davis Library.

Questions? Email: bloch.jawetz@gmail.com

Registration is not required for this session.

Men’s Group Lunch

Flower Child Restaurant

Location:10205 Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, MD 20817

NBV Bowling in the Afternoon (first and third Mondays)

Please arrive at 1:30pm so lanes can be assigned and preparations completed for a 2pm bowling start.

We’ll bowl 2 games from 2 to 3pm at a cost of $10 each ($40 for the lane, including shoe rental).

Lucky Strikes is on the lower level of Montgomery Mall.

RSVP required: email Becky Adler at beckyadler@msn.com

A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY: Docent-led Hike —j The Underground Railroad Experience Trail

NBV neighbors are invited to learn about the experience of 19th century freedom-seekers and Montgomery County residents in a guided hike of the Underground Railroad Experience Trail. Discover techniques used for navigation, eluding detection, and finding food/shelter on the perilous journey. Woodlawn Museum admission is included.

Location: Woodlawn Manor Cultural Park, 16501 Norwood Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860

Arrive at 9:45am. Those who wish to carpool are welcome to meet up at 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot of

Tilden Woods Local Park, 6800 Tilden Lane, N. Bethesda

The hike covers two miles on a flat natural surface hiking trail. The trail is not ADA accessible or suitable for all strollers.

Admission: $8 per person.

Advanced registration recommended at www.ActiveMontgomery.org.

Limited tickets will be available to purchase the day-of at the Visitor Center.

For more information:

https://montgomeryparks.org/events/guided-hike-on-the-underground-railroad-experience-trail-april18/

Dan Fiorino, American University Professor and Founding Director of the University's Center for Environmental Policy, will discuss overall sources of the:

• Challenge of climate change

• Impacts (at a general level) of climate change

• Leading policy options for addressing the underlying issues. 

The discussion will provide a public policy rather than a scientific perspective, although the scientific consensus is definitely relevant. The presentation will focus more on the mitigation side of the climate challenge, but will also discuss the need for adapting to the impacts of a changing climate.

Dan is the author or co-author of seven books and some 60 articles.  His recent books are A Good Life on a Finite Earth: The Political Economy of Green Growth(Oxford University Press, 2018), Can Democracy Handle Climate Change? (Polity Books, 2018), and Conceptual Innovation in Environmental Policy (with James Meadowcroft, MIT Press, 2017). 

Register at: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/policy-options-for-addressing-climate-change

A Reading and Discussion Group for Art Lovers: The Work of Alphonse Mucha

Join the Art Reading Group meeting to discuss the work of Czech painter and decorative artist Alp[honse Mucha (1860-1939). We will explore his artistry over different periods of his life, with emphasis on his revolutionary contributions to graphic design and the enduring influence of his distinctive style.

Provided below are several resources for pleasurable reading and viewing, including a lively discussion of Mucha's posters, an article from Smithsonian Magazine on Mucha's design for Czech money, and a link to the Mucha Foundation, which has a wealth of information on the artist.

Mucha Foundation: https://www.muchafoundation.org/en

Poster Discussion YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEYfdrPtuOA

Smithsonian Article: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-alphonse-mucha-designed-the-nation-state-of-czechoslovakia-29187905/

If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Beth Rabinovich at:  

bethr922@yahoo.com.

Location: Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda 20817

A co-ed, conversational group for neighbors interested in meeting face-to-face twice a month to get to know one another, contribute to meaningful conversations, and partake in drink or snack/treat (optional). The group will meet twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.

Location: Java Nation, 11120 Rockville Pike, N. Bethesda 20852

Reservations required at profcherylbrown@gmail.com. Registered participants are asked to alert organizers if they cannot attend a meeting, so that their spots can be offered to the next person on the group’s waitlist.

Do you play American mah jongg? Then come join the fun. We play by National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules. Bring your 2024 NMJL card; we’ll provide the sets. We will try to group by level, but we urge patience and encouragement for our beginning players.

We meet in the lower level meeting room at Davis Library.

Questions? Email: bloch.jawetz@gmail.com

Registration is not required for this session.

An event sponsored jointly by the NBV and the Davis Library.

Meet new friends in a 2-hour game each session. Test your wordsmithing ability. Sharpen your gamesmanship strategy.

Location: Davis Library Meeting Room 1, lower level, 6400 Democracy Blvd.

Do you play American mah jongg? Then come join the fun. We play by National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules. Bring your 2024 NMJL card; we’ll provide the sets. We will try to group by level, but we urge patience and encouragement for our beginning players.

We meet in the lower level meeting room at Davis Library.

Questions? Email: bloch.jawetz@gmail.com

Registration is not required for this session.

NBV Bowling in the Afternoon (first and third Mondays)

Please arrive at 1:30pm so lanes can be assigned and preparations completed for a 2pm bowling start.

We’ll bowl 2 games from 2 to 3pm at a cost of $10 each ($40 for the lane, including shoe rental).

Lucky Strikes is on the lower level of Montgomery Mall.

RSVP required: email Becky Adler at beckyadler@msn.com

A co-ed, conversational group for neighbors interested in meeting face-to-face twice a month to get to know one another, contribute to meaningful conversations, and partake in drink or snack/treat (optional). The group will meet twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.

Location: Java Nation, 11120 Rockville Pike, N. Bethesda 20852

Reservations required at profcherylbrown@gmail.com. Registered participants are asked to alert organizers if they cannot attend a meeting, so that their spots can be offered to the next person on the group’s waitlist.

Do you play American mah jongg? Then come join the fun. We play by National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules. Bring your 2024 NMJL card; we’ll provide the sets. We will try to group by level, but we urge patience and encouragement for our beginning players.

We meet in the lower level meeting room at Davis Library.

Questions? Email: bloch.jawetz@gmail.com

Registration is not required for this session.

World Dining Adventures — Peter Chang Gaithersburg

Peter Chang has several restaurants in the DMV, but his newest in Gaithersburg features Chinese cuisine in Tapas-sized servings - - ideal for group sharing/tasting of various dishes during the same sitting.

North Bethesda Village will reserve one or two round tables in a separate banquet room so we can chat amongst ourselves as we sample what the restaurant has prepared especially for our group.  We will make sure that there will be dishes for those who prefer vegetarian fare as well as those who favor meat dishes.

Peter Chang's Tapas restaurant is off Frederick Avenue just before the COSTCO complex (637 N. Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg).

Early registration would be appreciated so we have time to work with the restaurant on the menu and number of dish servings we will need.  To facilitate the meal ordering and payment, a set price of $26.50 will be required for each registration.  This price includes tax and tip, but beverages will be additional and paid separately.

Register at: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/chinese-tapas-with-peter-chang

Note:  If all registrations are filled, please email park21217@aol.com to get on the wait list for the event.

Need help figuring out how to get your new holiday laptop, iPad, or cellphone to work?  Or to make your current technology work more efficiently or to solve problems you are experiencing with them?

A set of local teens will conduct a tech help session every other month to help you solve specific issues with your tech tools.  Senior neighbors are asked to sign up in advance so they can know what time slot they will be given, although there is usually openings for walk-ins as well.  The teens should be able to help six seniors in each 30-minute time slot.  

Location: Davis Library, Lower Level, 6400 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda

 For reference purposes, the teens have worked on the following types of tasks before:

1. Organizing and uploading your files to Google

2. Managing saved passwords on laptop, tablet or cellphone

3. Adjusting notification settings on cellphone to adjust notification noise and specifying which apps can send notifications

4. Getting rid of unwanted applications on cellphone 

5. Updating software on laptop, tablet, cellphone, etc. 

6. Wiping personal files and documents from laptop, tablet, or cellphone that is being "retired" and donated or junked.

Register at: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/teen-tech-help-clinic-2

Once you request a "ticket" to the session, you will be asked to choose a preferred time slot. For questions, please email park21217@aol.com and we will try to get back to you as soon as we can.  

Winter’s over — let’s celebrate Spring!

Come join your NBV neighbors on a spring walk at Redgate Park.

Redgate Park is located at 14500 Avery Lane, Rockville 20850. We’ll meet up in the parking lot near the clubhouse.

Come hear Chris Palmer’s special presentation on “A Positive Path to Reach the End of Life”.

Most of us don't like talking about getting ready to die. Maybe, we fear suffering, or having regrets for what we didn't do, or worrying about what could happen after we die. Instead, in our daily lives we should create the person we will be when we die and, thus, the kind of death we will experience. 

Chris Palmer, who now devotes his life to death and dying issues, will lead us in an educational reflection, contemplating what matters deeply to us, considering how we find purpose and meaning, discussing personal mission statements, examining how to take better care of ourselves, and exploring how all of these practices can affect the quality of our death.

Chris' positive approach to these difficult issues is reflected in his life choices, first as a wildlife and conservation filmmaker for 40 years. He holds advanced degrees from Harvard and University College London and taught for 14 years at American University as a Distinguished Film Producer in Residence. 

Now, as a trained hospice specialist, he serves on the Boards of Montgomery Hospice, Final Exit Network, the Hemlock Society, and the Maryland Office of Cemetery Oversight. He also runs an aging, death and dying group for the Bethesda Metro Area Village. At the presentation, he will donate a copy of his tenth book, Achieving a Good Death: A Practical Guide to the End of Life, to the Davis Library local author collection. 

Register at:  https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/a-positive-path-to-reach-the-end-of-life

Join your NBV neighbors for an afternoon of Modern Canasta play. Both seasoned and newer players are encouraged to join in. Newer players should know the fundamentals of the game and have played at least a bit.

We will provide the playing cards and score sheets. Bring your own card holders and trays if you’d like.

RSVP to Paul Shapin at paul.shapin@gmail.com

The world abounds with facts, so let’s share some in a friendly hour of testing what we know and what we don’t. Everyone will get a chance to play. Even wrong guesses will be awarded points based on creativity or knowledge displayed.

Curious?  Give it a try!  Or let us know if you have ideas for other types of game sessions you'd like to try.

To join, RSVP to park21217@aol.com for Zoom meeting information.

Do you play American mah jongg? Then come join the fun. We play by National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules. Bring your 2024 NMJL card; we’ll provide the sets. We will try to group by level, but we urge patience and encouragement for our beginning players.

We meet in the lower level meeting room at Davis Library.

Questions? Email: bloch.jawetz@gmail.com

Registration is not required for this session.

An event sponsored jointly by the NBV and the Davis Library.

Meet new friends in a 2-hour game each session. Test your wordsmithing ability. Sharpen your gamesmanship strategy.

Location: Davis Library Meeting Room 1, lower level, 6400 Democracy Blvd.

Do you wonder what it would be like to play in a Mah Jongg tournament but afraid that it might be too competitive, too stressful, too anxiety-provoking? Then this is the tournament for you!

We will be playing American Mah Jongg according to National Mah Jongg League rules with one major exception: HANDS CANNOT BE CALLED DEAD. If you make a mistake, no big deal. This tournament is geared to be low-stress, low-anxiety, and lots of fun.

If you’re worried that you’re not good enough or fast enough, rest assured that you don’t need to be good or fast. If you know how to play, you’re good enough. And there are no time limits on games.

Why should you register? Because it will be fun and there will be prizes.

The registration fee is $10. Registration is limited to the first 24 participants.

To register, click here: https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/mah-jongg-mock-tournament

If registration is full, you can sign up for the waitlist and you will be contacted as soon as space becomes available.

This event is co-sponsored by NBV and Davis Library.

Questions? Email Deborah at bloch.jawetz@gmail.com.

Come learn more about art.

Location: Chevy Chase Library, 8005 Connecticut Ave, Chevy Chase 20815

RSVP to Beth Rabinovich at bethr922@yahoo.com

A co-ed, conversational group for neighbors interested in meeting face-to-face twice a month to get to know one another, contribute to meaningful conversations, and partake in drink or snack/treat (optional). The group will meet twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays of the month.

Location: Le Pain Quotidien, 10217 Old Georgetown Rd, Bethesda 20814

Reservations required at profcherylbrown@gmail.com. Registered participants are asked to alert organizers if they cannot attend a meeting, so that their spots can be offered to the next person on the group’s waitlist.

Do you play American mah jongg? Then come join the fun. We play by National Mah Jongg League (NMJL) rules. Bring your 2024 NMJL card; we’ll provide the sets. We will try to group by level, but we urge patience and encouragement for our beginning players.

We meet in the lower level meeting room at Davis Library.

Questions? Email: bloch.jawetz@gmail.com

Registration is not required for this session.

NBV Bowling in the Afternoon (first and third Mondays)

Please arrive at 1:30pm so lanes can be assigned and preparations completed for a 2pm bowling start.

We’ll bowl 2 games from 2 to 3pm at a cost of $10 each ($40 for the lane, including shoe rental).

Lucky Strikes is on the lower level of Montgomery Mall.

RSVP required: email Becky Adler at beckyadler@msn.com

Come join your NBV neighbors to learn everything you wanted to know about native plants with Master Gardener Marney Bruce!

We’ll meet at Davis Library, Lower Level Meeting Room (6400 Democracy Blvd, Bethesda)

RSVP to Carol Rose at carolgil@mac.com

Join your NBV neighbors for an afternoon of Modern Canasta play. Both seasoned and newer players are encouraged to join in. Newer players should know the fundamentals of the game and have played at least a bit.

We will provide the playing cards and score sheets. Bring your own card holders and trays if you’d like.

RSVP to Paul Shapin at paul.shapin@gmail.com

While viewing art in major museums across the country, have you wondered sometimes why certain pieces were chosen by the museums to adde to their massive collections or borrowed from other museums of private holdings to put on public display? And then did you try to decide which pieces you would have bought for your own collection if you were a major art investor?

Most of us don’t go beyond fantasizing about collect art, but Aaro Jean Bell, a retired finance executive and long-time Montgomery County resident, enjoys attending and participating in art-related events, and in making major purchases on her own.

NBV neighbor Beth Rabinovich will interview Aaro Jean Bell in her own home so we can have an overall view of how art complements Aaro’s everyday life. In addition, Aaro will share recent acquisitions, including Lavett Ballard’s collage on a reclaimed wooden fence, entitled “Black Girl Blooming” and Jamaal Barber’s metal sculpture of James Baldwin entitled “Flowers for Baldwin” and others as time permits. Zoom attendees will be able to ask questions at the end of the interview and art viewing.

Aaro is a retired finance executive and long-time resident of Montgomery County. After a career in information technology, then finance with IBM, she switched to Howard University where she brought a paper-driven organization into the modern era and greatly improved fiscal management. She has also served on the boards of several local and national foundations and charitable organizations.

To register, send an email to park21217@aol.com.