Defend ethical arguments grounded in Jewish wisdom.
Our competitions are structured around a detailed case alongside a curated sourcebook of traditional and modern Jewish texts. By applying the texts in the sourcebook, students construct legal arguments to address the ethical issues of the case. Cases in recent years have addressed timely issues including tainted money, #MeToo, and artificial intelligence.
Powered by the Hadar Institute and supported by Maimonides Fund, the competition offers students the opportunity to present their arguments in front of a panel of expert judges. Our aim is to inspire rigorous ethical debate rooted in Jewish legal wisdom, providing students an international stage to engage the most significant moral challenges facing the Jewish community and the world.
The Maimonides Moot Court High School Competition occurs over a thrilling weekend. Beginning with an inspirational shabbaton and culminating in a spirited competition, the experience brings an international cohort of students together into a shared conversation rooted in the intensive study of Jewish ethics.
We offer students an empowering look at the inner workings of Jewish legal tradition. In the months leading up to the competition, students are provided a detailed case involving a contemporary ethical quandary. They collaborate under the guidance of an advisor to craft a written decision and oral argument based on a provided sourcebook of curated sources. Following a shabbat celebrated in community, students debate their rulings in front of a panel of expert judges.
Jewish scholarship has always involved vigorous minds engaged in lively debate. We model this dynamic process on an international stage, demonstrating to students how Jewish wisdom can span cultures, geography, and time to influence our moral clarity today. Through a deep engagement with the sources, we aim to inspire the development of moral leadership skills rooted in the timeless wisdom of Jewish texts.
Maimonides Moot Court Competition staff
Yitzhak Bronstein, Director of Maimonides Moot Court Competition
Yitzhak is the director of Maimonides Moot Court Competition, overseeing all educational content and student programming. Previously he served in Chicago as the Senior Regional Jewish Educator for Moishe House, working with young adult leaders to strengthen educational experiences in their peer-led communities. He is an alumnus of the FASPE Ethics Fellowship (Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics) and is a participant in the M² Senior Educators Cohort. Originally from New York, Yitzhak has studied at the University of Chicago Divinity School, Yeshiva University, and Yeshivat Har Etzion. He lives in Washington DC.
Ari Katzman-Jacobson, Program Operations Associate
Ariela (Ari) Katzman-Jacobson (pronouns: she/her) is the Program Operations Associate at Hadar, where she helps plan and execute all Hadar and Maimonides Moot Court Competition (MMCC) programs. Ari graduated from Bard College in 2021 with a BA in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies. Prior to attending Bard, Ari participated in the BINA Gap Year Program where she studied at a Secular Yeshiva in South Tel Aviv. She has previously served as the Co-Head of the Jewish Student Organization at Bard, a Fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities, and an Intern at Political Research Associates and Seeds of Peace.
Avi Strausberg, Director of National Learning Initiatives at Hadar
Rabbi Avi Strausberg is the Director of National Learning Initiatives at Hadar, and is based in Washington, DC. Previously, she served as the Director of Congregational Learning of Temple of Aaron in St. Paul, Minnesota. Avi studied at Hadar as a year fellow, and served on our summer faculty in 2014. She received her rabbinic ordination from Hebrew College in Boston and is a Wexner Graduate Fellow. She also holds a Masters in Jewish Education. While pursuing her studies, Avi was honored to serve as a rabbinic intern at Kehillath Israel and Temple Sinai. She has taught students of different ages and backgrounds at Kehillath Israel, Temple Sinai, Makor, and Hadar. Additionally, Avi has worked as a chaplain intern at Hebrew Senior Life and organized an anti-trafficking campaign as a rabbinic fellow at T’ruah. Energized by engaging creatively with Jewish text, she has written several theatre pieces inspired by the Torah and maintains a Daf Yomi haiku blog in which she writes daily Talmudic haikus. Avi is most grateful for her wife, Chana, and two children, Ori and Niv.
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