Over the past few seasons Yeshiva League Pass has been posting interesting “Did You Know?” facts about Yeshiva League sports. Below is the list of facts, from both Instagram and print, as of September 2021.

1. The addition of Magen Abraham to the Yeshiva League makes them the second new varsity basketball team in the past three years (Waterbury 2017-18 season).

2. Since the 1990-91 season only six schools have won a varsity hockey championship (MTA, DRS, TABC, SAR, HAFTR, Frisch).

3. Since JV hockey was established (in the 1997-98 season), there have only been four times where the same school has won both the JV and varsity hockey Championship.

4. The last time there was a repeat varsity basketball champion was when HAFTR won back-to-back championships in the 2000-01 and 2001-02 seasons.

5. MTA varsity hockey team dominated the 1990s as they won six straight championships from 1990-96.

6. Throughout the history of the Yeshiva League, there have been 11 schools which have won a varsity hockey championship, two of which are no longer in existence (BTA and Hastings).

7. The original teams of the Yeshiva League were: MTA, BTA, RJJ, Ramaz, Chaim Berlin, Mesivta and Torah Vodaas.

8. In 1951, MTA beat BTA for the first championship with a score of 53-45.

9. In 1953, the Yeshiva League expanded to eight teams when HILI and Flatbush joined the league.

10. In the first ever Yeshiva League game in Madison Square Garden, MTA defeated BTA during the 1953 championship game.

11. In 1954, Ralph Lauren, formerly known as Ralph Lifshitz, was a member of the MTA basketball team.

12. The Yeshiva League basketball championship trophy is named in memory of former MTA star Norm Palefski.

13. Formerly known as the Charger, JEC won four basketball championships in the 1970s.

14. Seventeen varsity basketball programs have won the Yeshiva League championship. Four are no longer in existence (HILI Hawks, Rogisin, Sephardic Sonics, MAYHS Jaguars).

15. In the 1964-65 season Ramaz won the first Yeshiva League basketball championship.

16. Though several schools already had teams, the Yeshiva League was not established until 1951.

17. MTA won seven consecutive basketball championships from 1951-57.

18. RJJ won their only two basketball championships in consecutive seasons in 1958 and 59.

19. Prior to the merger with MTA, BTA won two basketball championships in the early 1960s.

20. From 1967-70, MTA and HILI faced off in four consecutive championships. MTA won in ‘67 and ‘70 and HILI in ‘68 and ‘69.

21. From 1980-82 Flatbush won three consecutive varsity basketball championships.

22. In 1999, Tamir Goodman, also known as the Jewish Jordan, set the Sarachek single game scoring record with 53 points.

23. Until 1965 MTA, was known as the Mini-Mites.

24. Throughout the history of Sarachek, Dov Weiner has been the only player to win consecutive Tier 1 MVP seasons. He did it in 1996 and ‘97.

25. In 2018, Ryan Turell became the third Jewish basketball player to be named to a McDonald’s All-American Game. The others were Aaron Leiberman in 2011 and Tamir Goodman in 2000.

26. The last time the DRS varsity hockey team lost a regular season game was in 2017.

27. In the 1986-87 season Ramaz and HAFTR were named co-champions of the Yeshiva League hockey championship.

28. In 1992, MTA was crowned the inaugural champion of the Red Sarachek Tournament.

29. Senior advisor to the president, Jared Kushner, was a member of the Frisch hockey team.

30. Ami Rosenfeld holds the record for the fastest hat-trick in Yeshiva League hockey history, when he scored three goals in 16 seconds.

31. There are only four current players to play two years of varsity basketball and have an undefeated record in the Sarachek tournament (Tzvi Zigelstein, Ikey Gutlove, Elie Goldberg, and Mendel Hein).

32. Magen David senior, Albert Nsiri appeared in six consecutive Yeshiva League basketball championships from sixth-11th grade.

33. Ariel Sokol is the lone player in the history of the Sarachek Tournament to win three consecutive Tier 1 championships.

34. The trio of Ari Kaminetzky, Yehuda Mirwis and Yoni Mann played in six out of seven basketball championship games throughout middle school and high school. This included three championship victories, but most notably TABC’s first ever JV basketball championship and a varsity championship appearance.

35. Jewish Rapper L’Chaim OG played college football at the University of North Dakota.

Looking forward to a great sports year!

If you’re interested, the Yeshiva League Pass team is always looking for sports writers and interns. If you have any interesting Jewish sports facts, email [email protected].

Ikey Gutlove is a Jewish Link sports intern.