Mama Cass Elliot

Ellen Naomi Cohen, better known as Mama Cass Elliot, was the unmistakable voice of the 1960s folk-rock phenomenon The Mamas & the Papas. While her vocal prowess was undeniable, her Jewish identity was, shall we say, less vocally prominent. Still, with a name like Cohen, it's hard to dispute the ancestral bona fides, even if she spent more time harmonizing than davening.

Her career was a whirlwind of hit songs, iconic performances, and the kind of free-spirited celebrity that defined an era. From