Jerry Zucker was born 24 August 1949 in Tel Aviv, Israel, one of three children born to Leon Zucker and Zipora Zucker (née Shlifkovitz), the other two being his brother Jacob and his sister Rochelle. His parents were both Holocaust survivors. Zucker immigrated to the United States through Ellis Island in 1952. As a child, he lived in South Carolina, Florida, and New Jersey, where he attended Jewish day schools his parents helped found. As a young man, Zucker attended the University of Florida, majoring in Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics. He later earned an M.S. in Electrical Engineering.