Jackie Mason (1928-2021) studied to become a rabbi like all other male members of his family. He opted for the stage with his borscht belt comedy style to become a star of Broadway, screen, network and cable television. His critically-acclaimed one man-theatrical shows include The World According to Me (earning him a Tony Award as well as an Emmy Award for his adaptation for HBO, Jackie Mason on Broadway), Jackie Mason Brand New, and The Ultimate Jew.
Mason appeared in such films as
The Jerk and
History of the World: Part 1 and won an Emmy for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his portrayal of Krusty the Clown's father on
The Simpsons. He wrote his autobiography
Jackie Oy! with Ken Gross and
How to Talk Jewish with Ira Berkow.
Ira Berkow is a columnist and sports reporter who spent more than twenty-five years writing for the
New York Times, earning a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting that was awarded to the staff for the
Times' series
How Race Is Lived in America. He has also written for
Esquire,
Sports Illustrated, and
The Chicago Tribune Magazine, and is the author of
How to Talk Jewish (with Jackie Mason),
Counterpunch: Ali, Tyson, the Brown Bomber, and Other Stories of the Boxing Ring, and
It Happens Every Spring: DiMaggio, Mays, the Splendid Splinter, and a Lifetime at the Ballpark.
