Is the popular Israeli board game Rummikub invented by a Palestinian?
Rummikub was invented by Ephraim Hertzano, a Romanian-born Jew. He hand-made the first sets with his family in the backyard of his home. The game combines elements of rummy, dominoes, mah-jongg and chess. Hertzano sold the first sets door-to-door and on a consignment basis at small shops. Over the years, the family licensed it to other countries and it became Israel’s #1 export game. In 1977, it became a bestselling game in the United States. In Hertzano’s ‘Official Rummikub Book’, published in 1978, he describes three different games: American, Sabra and International. Modern Rummikub sets include only versions of the Sabra rules, with no mention of the other games, and there are variations in the rules between publishers. The game was first made by Lemada Light Industries Ltd, founded by Hertzano.
