Jackie Mason

Birth Name: Yacov Moshe Hakohen Maza

Date of Birth: June 9, 1928

Place of Birth: Sheboygan, Wisconsin, U.S.

Date of Death: July 24, 2021

Place of Death: Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.

Ethnicity: Ashkenazi Jewish

Jackie Mason was an American stand-up comedian and film and television actor. He appeared in the film The Jerk and starred in the comedy Caddyshack II.

Jackie was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to an Orthodox Jewish family, the son of Baila/Belle Rivka (Gitlin) and Eliyahu/Elza/Eli Mordechai Mazo/Maza, a rabbi. His parents were from Smalyavichy, Minsk, Belarus, and his family spoke Yiddish. His grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather were also rabbis. His father was working as a rabbi in Sheboygan at the time of his birth. His family moved to the Lower East Side of Manhattan during his youth.

Jackie became a rabbi himself at age 25, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and led congregations in Weldon, North Carolina, and in Latrobe, before becoming a comedian in the mid 1950s.

He was married to his manager, Jyll Rosenfeld, until his death. His daughter is comedian Sheba Mason.

Jackie’s paternal grandfather was named Chaim Mazo.

Sources: Genealogy of Jackie Mason – https://www.geni.com

Jackie Mason on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Jackie Mason on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org