Model UN Students Win Awards in Canada

By Gracie Sacks ‘26​
Last month, Golda Och Academy competed in the 23rd annual Jewish Canadian Model United Nations (JCYMUN) conference. Golda Och took home awards in three out of seven committees. Mimi Lebeau and Shayne Cytrynbaum both earned Outstanding Delegate on the Security Council and Crisis Committee, respectively, while Rachel Nadelmann earned an Honorable Mention in the UNWomen Committee.

This year's conference was the first in-person JCYMUN event since COVID-19.
“When we were online [during Covid], we never got the opportunity to socialize with the other delegates,” said junior Giselle Weiss, a three-time JCYMUN participant. “I never truly understood what a difference this made to the overall experience until I stepped foot physically into the conference. The program is not entirely about advocating for your country, instead, it is about meeting other students from around the world.”
Model UN is a hands-on experience in which each student represents a certain country, and debates specific topics on simulated committees, mirroring real UN committees like UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Security Council. Aside from creating strong diplomacy and speaking skills, JCYMUN strives to provide students with opportunities to meet new people with similar interests and expand their worldviews by meeting those in different committees. 
This year's conference was attended by other schools in New York, Canada and Brazil. It was an extraordinary opportunity to see other cultures first hand, and make friends with other students one may not have interacted with otherwise. 
This was aided by the greatest skill JCYMUN teaches its participants: how to collaborate effectively and efficiently. At the end of debate, it is a delegate's job to make alliances with other countries and write a resolution to pass in committee. 
Both the resolution-writing and debating processes challenge delegates to learn more about other countries' positions on a wide array of controversial topics, while also to get to know fellow delegates through working together. 
    GOA students competed across seven committees: the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UNWomen), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Crisis Committee: The War of 1812.
    Social studies teacher Ms. Smith worked tirelessly with the students to ensure they were prepared for the conference. 
“I love advising Model United Nations!” she said. “It pushes students beyond their own beliefs and forces them to delve into positions which may be contrary to their own and represent them accurately in order to solve real-world issues. The Jewish-Canadian Youth Model United Nations (JCYMUN) Conference allows our students to experience a full conference schedule and socialize with other day school students from Brazil, Canada and the United States.  I am already looking forward to JCYMUN 2024.”
“Finally being in person allowed for a more immersive experience where it really felt like you were in a real United Nations,” said sophomore Jesse Schiffman. “It was also very easy to meet new people and [bond] with friends from school.”