It started with a table.
Let's Mahj RVA is a community of women in Richmond who gather to learn, play, talk, and belong. Mahjong is how we found each other — but it was never really about the tiles.
It started from a deeply personal place.
As a mom to three young adult children — one with a disability — I found myself navigating a season where the typical milestones had ended, but the caregiving journey continued. I realized that if I was going to sustain this path well, I needed something that filled my cup.
I turned back to a game my mom taught me over 30 years ago, never expecting it would become both an outlet and a calling. What began as a way to care for myself has grown into a community that's blessing others too.
With gratitude and joy,
Emilie Rabke
The tables keep filling up.
What started with one woman and a card table is now a team of nine, a studio in Richmond, and a second location in Williamsburg.
It turned out the tiles were doing something quieter than passing the time. They gave women a reason to sit down together, week after week, without needing an occasion or an explanation. Somewhere in the shuffling and the strategy and the talking over each other, real friendships took hold.
So Let's Mahj RVA grew into more than classes. It became a place where women learn a game, yes — but also where they find a standing seat, a small group, a book to talk about, a lunch worth showing up for, and people who notice when they're missing.
That's what we're building. Not a mahjong business. A community of women who belong to each other.
The things we hold onto.
You don't have to play to belong
Book club, lunches, small groups — plenty of what we do doesn't require knowing a single tile. Come for the conversation. The game will still be there.
Everyone starts somewhere
Nobody is born knowing the card. We teach beginners without making anyone feel behind, and we mean it when we say there are no dumb questions.
Small is the point
We'd rather be a place where you're known than a place that's crowded. Our groups stay small on purpose, because that's where real friendship happens.
A book about what happens at the table.
Emilie's book, written with Lauren Wilson, is a love letter to the women who've made this community what it is — and to the game that brought them together. Coming Fall 2026.
Profits go to the Rett Syndrome Research Trust, the world's leading organization working to cure Rett syndrome.
Why Rett syndrome? Because it's personal. Emilie's daughter, Anna Cate, lives with Rett syndrome.
Order Your Presale CopyThere's a seat here for you.
Whether you've never touched a tile or you've been playing for years, come find out what all the laughing is about.
Explore ClassesWe can't wait to meet you.