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24 Teams Vie for Top Spot in North America’s Premier Jewish High-School Basketball Tournament

From March 23-27, MTA Highschool hosted the 30th annual Red Sarachek Invitational Basketball Tournament in partnership with �ۿ۴�ý. The tournament welcomed 24 yeshiva high-school basketball teams from across the United States and Canada to compete for the top spot in North America's most prestigious Jewish high-school basketball competition. The games were held at the Max Stern Athletic Center on YU's Wilf Campus in Washington Heights, as well as in satellite gyms in New Jersey.

Valley Torah High School Wolf Pack pose with Tier-1 Championship Banner

Established in 1992 by �ۿ۴�ýlegendary Coach Jonathan Halpert, the tournament honors the legacy of former �ۿ۴�ýMaccabees coach Bernard "Red" Sarachek, who left an indelible imprint on �ۿ۴�ý students and the greater Jewish community by revolutionizing basketball strategy across collegiate and professional levels. “This year marks the 30th annual Sarachek Invitational, which is an extension of the storied legacy of our university and �ۿ۴�ýBasketball,” said Marc Zharnest, YU's Director of High School Recruitment and Admissions. “Each year, we cherish the opportunity to host high school students from across North America, and showcase all that �ۿ۴�ý has to offer in terms of both athletics and excellence in education. The games bring out not only the strength of our community, but also critical aspects of sportsmanship, dedication to excellence, and teamwork, which go hand in hand with YU’s core Torah values.” This year's tournament included a lively Shabbaton and tours of the university’s campus for the visiting teams, to help the young all-stars gain an early appreciation for YU’s unique educational environment. At the Shabbaton, Rabbi Jacob Bernstein and Daniel Tamir, a former Division I pro in Israel and Hungary, provided inspirational speeches about the intersection between basketball and Judaism.

Spectators watch championship game on jumbo screen at Wilf Campus

The electrifying championship game between Valley Torah High School (Los Angeles, CA) and SAR High School (Riverdale, NY) drew a lively crowd of over 800 spectators, and brought the Max Stern Gym to maximum capacity. An additional 200 fans participated in an outdoor viewing party in the heart of the Wilf campus, with the game streaming on a high-tech digital broadcast truck. The back-and-forth game resulted in an 56-48 victory for Valley Torah, earning them their second consecutive championship title. “This year’s Sarachek tournament brought 24 teams from all over the country and beyond to a single, prestigious, incredible platform in Washington Heights,” said Motti Meisels, head basketball coach of YULA. “�ۿ۴�ýoutdid themselves with this Sarachek! From the huge screen and outside seating in front of the Mac Center to the incredible achdus displayed at our collective davening in the Hilton, this tournament simply reached the highest of levels. The basketball piece was without a doubt so epic and sellout crowds witnessed some very gifted players on amazing teams, but most notably the players engaged, laughed, cried, matured, reflected, and appreciated everything �ۿ۴�ýoffered with the greatest of humility and grace. The entire Jewish community should be so proud of the men responsible for our futures. Thank you �ۿ۴�ýfor an unforgettable experience.”

30th Red Sarachek Basketball Tournament - championship game. Valley Torah High School defeated SAR High School 56-48.

All tournament games were broadcast in high-definition video by the student-run MacsLive sports network. According to MacsLive Executive Director Ezra Jacobs (Sy-Syms ‘23), the network produced some 42 hours of live on-air content for the tournament, with 60 staff members manning video feeds, A/V equipment, play-by-play commentary, and game write-ups. “Over the course of Sarachek, tens of thousands of viewers tuned in to our broadcasts, which required a tremendous amount of prep work to deliver a high-quality production as we covered 28 games over the course of four days,” said Jacobs. “Sarachek is undoubtedly a busy and crazy blitz, but the MacsLive team, which is entirely student run, takes great pride in connecting the wider Jewish world through the medium of sports and entertainment.”