DJDS Model UN Program is thriving and gaining experience

By the DJDS Marketing Team

 

The Model UN (Model United Nations) program is an educational simulation and academic activity in which high school students from around the world can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations. As Denver Jewish Day School continues to grow it's own Model UN team and program, Denver JDS Math Department Chair and Teacher, Andria Rabenold witnessed tremendous progress from this year's DJDS Model UN delegation. 

"From my perspective, our Model UN delegation took a big leap forward this year," said Rabenold. "Part of it is that we now have a bit more experience and know what to expect, but equally, the students spent countless hours researching, writing, rewriting, debating, and planning speeches. They were exceptionally well-prepared. This new level of confidence was invigorating to witness and inspires hope in the next generation of political leaders."

 

As an added bonus, the conference this year featured a "Fireside Chat" with former President Joseph Biden! He spoke about how he got involved in politics not because that was his dream, but because of the injustices he saw in his community and his drive to change his surroundings. Students from all over the world were able to submit questions for the chat, and while none of ours were selected, Koby's was so insightful that he was invited to a private meet and greet with the former President following his talk! 

 

 

Many of the DJDS Model UN delegates reflected on how impactful and inspiring this Model UN Conference was for them:

 

Eli Benel (11th Grade): "NHSMUN is always educational and invigorating. Inside of the committee I had the chance to give speeches, collaborate with other countries, and discuss global issues. However, beyond that I was able to make friends and meet new interesting people that I would not have otherwise. Seeing other Jewish students at the conference is always fun, it is encouraging to see kippot being worn and for them to see mine. We even got to read the Megillah with another Jewish school. Exploring New York outside of the conference is also a highlight of the trip. We eat at cool restaurants, we walk around the city, and we really get to know and understand a foreign environment. Model UN is educational, but more than that exciting in all of its aspects. I am proud of our delegation's work in solidifying our bloc. My partner and I were the ones that truly brought all pf the different countries and ideas together. We were able to advance our country's goals, the world's goals, and able to make friends. And I did it all with a kippah on my head."

 

Koby Nadel-Mansdorf (11th Grade): "NHSMUN was a great experience! Debating and collaborating with others is an important skill that you really get to perfect at the conference. My partner and I represented El Salvador at the UN committee of DISEC. We learned to fight hard for the things we believed in, and to work with people from opposing ideologies. I think the experience is worthwhile because it teaches you how to speak confidently to a large group of people. Learning to acquire good public speaking skills is really important and NHSMUN is great practice. NHSMUN is also a worthwhile experience because it helps teach you how to collaborate with others and work together towards a common goal."

 

Elijah Segal (11th Grade): "During my three (almost four) years of attending NHSMUN I have always had a blast. Nothing else compares to the feeling of participating in debate with new people you have never met and then going to get a slice of New York pizza. All three conferences have been exceptionally fun and eye opening, but by far, they have continued to just get better and better. Getting to hear from real world politicians, law makers, and even the president of the United States is truly awe-worthy, and a great privilege.

Overall, my time at NHSMUN has been nothing short of amazing and I would recommend it to just about any student who thinks that they could put in the work to succeed. A major accomplishment of mine at this year's conference was the fact that my co delegate and I created a massive bloc (group of delegates whose ideas align and work together) spanning almost thirty delegations from all around the world. Although my co delegate and I did not receive any formal awards, this year was successful in various ways some of which include a major growth in leadership skills, a deeper understanding of the impact of law making, and so much more."

 

Holden Demain (11th Grade): At NHSMUN, I represented the United States of America at NATO, attempting to deal with the challenges of the Russo-Ukrainian war. In the course of my time in the Crisis Committee, I annexed Greenland, led an assassination attempt on Vladimir Putin, and was put on trial for my actions. I learned how to deal with changing policy, right up to the beginning of the conference, as well as how to stand strong in an oppositional position. Overall, I learned a lot about the situation and Ukraine and have a newfound appreciation for the power of international alliances.

 

Michael Rafailov (11th Grade): Me and my friends went all around New York and enjoyed the tourist part as well as the MUN part which was very fun for a first time experience. What I learned was how everything is actually done in a real UN and the real experience of talking to and in front of so many people. Being with my friends definitely made the experience worthwhile for me and just being active in the committee sessions did as well. Patrick Marshall: I represented El Salvador for the DISEC committee and my goal, as well as Koby's, was to get our opinion into one of the resolution papers and debate many others who have opposing views. The main thing I learned from this is that to work with others, especially people with polarizing views, is to find a middle ground where everyone can agree. One thing I was happy about was that we had to fight to put our opinion into a resolution. It was not easy and that is what made it fun. Most of our time spent was debating with other delegations on how our solution works and how it is relevant for our committee.

 

Noah Kutnick (10th Grade): "It was great and I learned a lot about speaking and working together. I was able to rise to a leadership role in my bloc and show a large global unity between over 50 countries which was really cool to see so many different nations with so many different situations and outlooks to work together on one draft resolution. I learned about what I should have a larger knowledge on, how to create an impromptu speech and still sound intelligent and smooth. I think for me, the biggest thing is always meeting new people. I got to connect with people from both of the other Jewish schools, I made friends from other countries, and even friends from in the state. It was worthwhile, as I think I can implement a lot of these lessons in my daily life. I also happened to be sitting near all three of the award winning delegates at one point or another — two of the winning delegations were next to me during every committee session— so by making friends with them and being in close proximity with them, I learned a lot about how they speak and go about making resolutions. One out of these three was in our bloc, and the other two were in separate blocs and were also seniors, so I think I can learn a lot from watching them. I also learned a lot about inclusion. Since a bloc with 57 countries and over 100 delegates is bound to have certain contradictions and disagreements, and during the early stages of bloc forming we created a merger to ensure success, I had to make sure every country felt accounted for and was on board. This sometimes meant compromising things that were important for some, and catering to others. Finally, I learned that engagement and involvement is key. El Salvador at a first glance does not seem like it has much power it all, however, due to my efforts and participation, we ended up becoming a big leader and were up there with much more powerful countries such as the U.S., U.K., Singapore, and Canada."