JACKIE MASON, 87 YEARS OLD

Jackie Mason has been ranked by Comedy Central as the 63rd greatest stand-up comedian of all time, out of 100. In 1986, he won an Emmy Award, Special Tony Award, Outer Circle Critics Award, Ace Award, and a Grammy nomination for his one-man show The World According to Me. Later on, his special songs like Jackie Mason on Broadway won another Emmy Award for outstanding writing and Ace Award. Mason won his third Emmy Award for his voice-over of Rabbi Krustofski on the episode Like Father, Like Clown of The Simpsons.

The comedian graduated from the City College of New York with a degree in Sociology and English. He became a cantor at age 18. Mason received semikhah from Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, ordained a rabbi, and eventually led the Weldon, North Carolina, and Beth Israel congregations. According to him, more gentiles come to the congregation just to hear his jokes. Three years after his father passed away, Mason resigned from his position as a rabbi and became a comedian, stating that somebody in his family had to make a living. Luckily, he made more than just a living with his humor.