Moriah is thrilled to announce that its middle school Debate Team has emerged victorious in the first debate tournament of the year. The talented and dedicated team competed against BPY, Noam and Yavneh and after a series of rigorous rounds, Moriah clinched first place!

Moriah also took the top spots for individual debater score and team debaters score. As a team, Bea Dauber and Ethan Ehrenfeld tied with Michael Dweck and Abie Saliman for the top spots for team debater scores out of 16 teams. William Katzman and Murray Yunger came in as third place team. Bea achieved the top score for individual debater out of 32 participants. Abie and William tied for second place while Michael and Ethan tied for third place along with another student from another school.

The debate team consists of 20 incredible students from sixth to eighth grade who dedicated their time preparing affirmative and negative arguments for the very complicated topic: Assault rifles should be banned in the United States.

The eight students who participated in this debate were: Abie Saliman, William Katzman, Bea Dauber, Ora Eichenwald, Michael Dweck, Dylan Nadritch, Murry Yunger and Ethan Ehrenfeld. All demonstrated exceptional skills in research, critical thinking and public speaking. Their hard work, preparation and teamwork were evident throughout the competition, and everyone is so proud of their accomplishments.

A special thanks to debate coaches Keren Ehrenfeld, Kate Lifschitz (‘22) and Eliana Elkin for their invaluable guidance and support throughout the preparation process, as well as to all the students, teachers and parents who volunteered for the debate.

This victory not only showcases the academic prowess of Moriah students but also highlights the importance of fostering skills such as communication, problem-solving and teamwork. This achievement is a testament to the dedication and spirit of our school community.