Historic board game finds home in Houston Jewish History Archives

Estelle Panzer and Janis Odensky, two of the three Houston women responsible for creating the “Jewish version of Trivial Pursuit” in the 1980s, stopped by the Woodson Research Center in Fondren Library Aug. 30 to donate original adult and children’s versions of the board game, newspaper clippings and more to the Houston Jewish History Archive.
Estelle Panzer and Janis Odensky, two of the three Houston women responsible for creating the “Jewish version of Trivial Pursuit” in the 1980s, stopped by the Woodson Research Center in Fondren Library Aug. 30 to donate original adult and children’s versions of the board game, newspaper clippings and more to the Houston Jewish History Archive.

Wildly popular when it was first released in 1985, “Tradition” was sold everywhere from Sakowitz and Joske’s in Houston to Bloomingdale’s in New York City. The board game’s 3,000 questions were vetted by local Rabbi Joseph Radinsky and covered categories such as Yiddish, proverbs, sports and entertainment. (Photos by Jeff Fitlow)

Estelle Panzer and Janis Odensky, two of the three Houston women responsible for creating the “Jewish version of Trivial Pursuit” in the 1980s, stopped by the Woodson Research Center in Fondren Library Aug. 30 to donate original adult and children’s versions of the board game, newspaper clippings and more to the Houston Jewish History Archive.

About Katharine Shilcutt

Katharine Shilcutt is a media relations specialist in Rice University's Office of Public Affairs.