The JLGB "Sir Peter E Lazarus"
Debating Competition
A competition for
Jewish young people
Introduction
The Sir Peter Lazarus Debating Competition is a national competition allowing those in school years 11 to 13 to practise the skills of debating without the burden of excessive pre-competition preparation - no competitor has any idea what they will be talking about until 15 minutes before each debate. This is the tenth year in which the Jewish Lads' and Girls' Brigade has been running this very successful competition.
The benefits to young people of taking part in such events are well-known and are summarised below:
- Develops debating and public speaking skills
- Contributes to self-confidence
- Encourages cogent thought and rational argument
- Enhances listening and questioning techniques
- Introduces students to university-style debating
- Good debating skills are highly regarded by universities and professional employers
The competition is based on the English Speaking Union guidelines.
Eligibility
The competition is open to teams of young Jewish people across the UK from schools, youth movements and clubs, communities and individual synagogues. Pupils in years 11, 12 and 13 are eligible to take part.
Format
The competition is based on the "Short Preparation" Inter-Varsity format (the normal format for University debating). Each team will comprise two speakers, who must be from the same school/club/organisation. Speakers cannot normally be changed between rounds.
One or two teams will go forward from each round, depending upon the total number of entries on the day of the Competition.
Topics
Motions for debates will be announced 15 minutes before the start of each round. This means you will have to do some very quick thinking!
Competition Structure
Four teams will normally compete in each round. There will be:
- a first proposition team,
- a first opposition team,
- a second proposition team and
- a second opposition team.
Timings
Main speeches are of 4 minutes. An audible signal will be given at the end of the first and third minutes. A double signal will be sounded at the end of the four minutes, after which the speaker must finish as quickly as possible. If the speaker continues for more than 30 seconds, the Chairman will ask them to stop speaking immediately. In the final, each speaker will speak for 5 minutes, with the second audible signal being at the end of the fourth minute.
Criteria
Adjudicators will judge teams principally by reference to three criteria: Content, Strategy and Style. Sophistication of argument, maintenance of the thread of argument, and appropriate use of humour are all highly regarded and highly marked skills.
