Ezra Wohlgelernter intended to become a rabbi like his father. But while enrolled in the rabbinic ordination program at New York’s Yeshiva University, he had an epiphany when a highly regarded law professor – who was also a rabbi – addressed the school’s pre-law society.
 
“The very foundation of tort law responsibility is grounded in the Jewish Bible and Talmud, and Professor (Aaron) Twerski integrated both disciplines in his lecture. It was then I knew that I had a future in the field of law,” Wohlgelernter said.
 
Wohlgelernter graduated from Temple University’s law school and in 1987, he and two colleagues founded a Philadelphia law firm that has grown to 19 attorneys. It is now called Feldman Shepherd Wohlgelernter Tanner Weinstock & Dodig LLP. Wohlgelernter practices in New Jersey and New York as well as in Pennsylvania and is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association.
 
Wohlgelernter’s career choice did not diminish his interest in rabbinic scholarship. The study of the Talmud requires rigorous discipline and concentration and helped develop his skills of legal reasoning and advocacy. The married father of five (with 10 grandchildren) is deeply committed to the Jewish community in Philadelphia; for more than 30 years he has served in numerous leadership roles with several organizations.
 
His commitment to service also extends to senior citizens. Wohlgelernter, 55, was recently elected vice chair of the SeniorLaw Center, which provides free legal services to Pennsylvania residents age 60 and over in cases of financial fraud, physical abuse, housing crises and grandchild custody matters, among others.
 
Q. What led you to become an advocate for senior citizens?
A.  For close to a decade, I helped take care of my ailing father. My wife and I shared this responsibility but I also served as my father’s medical case manager, advocate and attorney. There were times when I wondered what would have happened to my father if he didn’t have a son who happened to be a lawyer. My father’s passing in January 2006 left a vacuum in my life. I was introduced to the SeniorLaw Center later that year and was invited to serve on its board of directors. Serving on the board of directors provides me with the opportunity to use my knowledge and experience to advocate for seniors, who unfortunately are the most vulnerable members of our society.
 
Q. What type of cases do you handle?
A. I’m a generalist, but I gravitate toward complex cases dealing with product liability, medical negligence and catastrophic injuries.
 
Q. Would you recount a major case you handled in New Jersey?
A. I have handled an array of cases in New Jersey, including professional malpractice claims, product liability cases, ERISA disability claims and motor vehicle and truck liability claims. In all of them, I had the satisfaction of representing ordinary citizens who, without the benefit of able legal counsel, would have remained victims. One case of note is the “HEP C” litigation. Our firm represented prisoners who were suffering from the effects of Hepatitis C but were denied the necessary screening and treatment by New Jersey’s prison healthcare system. As a result of the litigation, the state’s prison health program was changed to provide the necessary treatment to incarcerated individuals. The principles for which we fight are most important to me as a trial lawyer.