"The Life and Times of J. Jerry Zeltzer"

by Ari A. Zeltzer

Joseph, who later liked to be called by his middle name Jerry, grew up in Detroit, Michigan.  He attended several small public schools and was a member of the boy scouts.  His grades were average and he had a lot of friends.  He was very outgoing and active.  He loved to play all sports, but his favorite was baseball.

When Jerry was in his early teens, he wanted to become an actor.  He was in several school plays and won the class "kibbitzer" award.  He was also accepted into the School of Performing Arts.  His dream to become an actor ended when his father died.

Jerry felt that he would have to support and take care of his mother.  At the time he was working at a cherry canning factory.  He was earning $2.00 an hour.  He knew that a job like this wasn't for him and he could not rely on acting alone, so he decided to become a lawyer because he had a "gift of gab."

With support and encouragement from his mother and grandfather, he completed his years at Central High School.

Jerry was 18 and his grandfather had passed away.  He attended Wayne University where he received a Bachelors of Arts Degree.  He then entered law school at Miami, Florida, and received his Jurist Doctor Degree (J.D.).

When Jerry finished law school, he was drafted into the army.  He was given a difficult task . . . radio announcing.  He was known to all the other service men as the "Big Red."  He also had to report the news as it happened.

After a year in the army he was stationed in Japan where he met his first real girlfriend.  After a few m months in Japan a man named Boone was being tried for arson and murder.  Since Jerry was the only service man in the U.S. army stationed in that area of Japan who was a qualified lawyer, he was assigned the job of defending this man.  This would be his first and most important case.  It was also the first time any American service man was to be tried under Japanese law.  Jerry tried the case and was able to get Boone off with a life sentence instead of the death penalty.  "This was a big achievement for me in my life; it was the first time I really knew that I was good," says Jerry.

Jerry was now getting ready to leave the army.  He was sad about leaving his girlfriend behind but she was unable to go to the States with him.  He was now ready for the real world.  "And boy was I excited to see my mother again!" says Jerry.

The reunion with is mother was a happy one.  He now had a job to do and he intended to do it.  Jerry got his first outside case in early September, 1957 he was to defend a man who was charged with interstate transportation of a stolen motor vehicle.  He won he got the man off of all charges.  In return he got burned.  The man had left town and never paid him.  " I learned the most important thing about being a criminal lawyer and that was always to get paid first."

As Jerry grew older he settled down and was making a living for himself and his mother.  "One day as I was reading the morning paper, I saw her the girl of my dreams," states Jerry.  Her name was Helene.  "A friend of mine arranged it so the two of us would meet."  Sure enough it was true love as soon as they met.

After a year of continuous dating, Jerry had asked Helene to marry him.  She was only 19 at the time and she said yes.  " I was the happiest man in the world!" exclaims Jerry.  "A person couldn't be more happy."

After a few years marriage they had their first child her name to be, Kimmie.  She also had red hair like her father and grandmother. " I was very happy to have a daughter, but I was still hoping for a son" says Jerry.

A couple more years passed and another baby was born; this one was another girl her name to be, Aimee.  " I was very happy that I had another girl but was still hoping for a boy.

The next child that I would have, either boy or girl, would be the last," says Jerry.  Sure enough the next child would be a cute little red-headed boy who looked just like his father and mother.  His name to be, Ari.

When the kids were about 8, 5, and 3 Jerry ran for Mayor of the city of Miami Beach, Florida.  He would go on to lose the election.  This was a major disappointment for him because  he really felt that hew was the best candidate.  A year later he was appointed the position of Municipal Judge.  "I just couldn't sentence people without feeling some kind of guilt," says Jerry.  So he resigned after two years as Judge and returned to the private practice of law.

After ten years of marriage, Jerry and Helene divorced.  Helene moved to California with the kids.

Three years later Jerry met a Korean woman named Hwaja.  After three years of going steady with her he decided to get remarried.  Jerry now lives with his new wife and two of his kids (Aimee and Ari) and Hwaja's son.  Hwaja converted to the Jewish religion and they are living happily as a family.