He is being remembered as a loving son, a star athlete, a gifted student, and a loyal friend but 20-year-old Queens resident Justin Zemser, the youngest victim of last week’s fatal Amtrak derailment, is also being recalled in another way: as a promising soul who had just recently begun to immerse himself in the world of Torah learning.
Rabbi Mordechai Beer, Torah Mates coordinator at Oorah, spent five years trying to set Zemser up with a learning partner.
“It all started about seven years ago when Howard Zemser, Justin’s father, contacted me,” Rabbi Beer told The Jewish Press. “He wanted to learn to read Hebrew, right around the time of Justin’s bar mitzvah.”
Rabbi Beer arranged a Torah Mate for Howard Zemser and the two spoke often.
“He is a friendly guy who called me on a lot of issues,” recalled Rabbi Beer. “Every conversation would mention Justin, his wonder child. He was an extremely bright boy and a talented athlete who was very community minded and would volunteer to help others. His father was so proud of him.”
Hearing the elder Zemser sing his son’s praises inspired Rabbi Beer to suggest that Justin follow in his father’s footsteps and sign up with a learning partner. Justin, who was heavily involved in extracurricular activities at Beach Channel High School, begged off, explaining that his schedule was full.
“The years went by,” said Rabbi Beer, and every year I would ask the same question: ‘Would Justin like to learn with a Torah Mate?’ Unfortunately, he was always too busy.”
Justin’s acceptance to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, may have been a positive development for the teen who aspired to become a Navy SEAL, but it was exactly the opposite for Rabbi Beer, who longed to introduce the teen to the world of Torah.
“I figured his childhood dream had finally come true but I lost mine, to get him a Torah Mate,” said Rabbi Beer. “The schedule at the Naval Academy is so rigorous that I knew he wouldn’t have any free time.”
Ever the optimist, Rabbi Beer continued reaching out to Justin during his first year at Annapolis, but the answer he received was exactly what he expected to hear. The freshman simply had no free time. But seven months ago, Rabbi Beer was shocked to get a phone call saying that Justin, who was now serving as the vice president of the Naval Academy’s Jewish Midshipmen’s Club, wanted to take on a Torah Mate.
“He said he wanted to learn to understand Hebrew, that he would love to learn Chumash and to understand the weekly Torah portion,” said Rabbi Beer. “I set him up with Tzvi Aryeh Rubinfeld and they began learning Chumash together.”
Rubinfeld recalled that Justin could read Hebrew fairly well. The two agreed to start at the beginning with the parshah of Bereishis this past October and tried to learn together every other week, Justin’s schedule permitting.
“He was very interested in learning,” said Rubinfeld. “He wrote every word down, soaking everything in and getting a greater appreciation with each time. He was soft spoken and the nicest, kindest person you could ever meet.”
Ironically, the last time Rubinfeld learned with Justin, they had just begun the second perek of Bereishis, which starts with the word “vayechulu” – “and they were completed.”
“It was very symbolic,” said Rabbi Beer. “Just like creation was completed, Justin completed his mission as well. I found that to be very powerful. We tried for so many years to get him to learn Torah and it wasn’t that he didn’t want to, he just didn’t have the time. And here seven months before his death, his neshamah reached out to us to have the zechus of Torah learning to take with him on his final journey.”