To submit your own memoires of YUNMUN, please click HERE.
Kathy Sklar
Assistant Principal, Akiva Hebrew Day School
Southfield, Michigan
"Akiva will join YUNMUN for our 19th year. The students gain academically/intellectually from the pre-conference research and preparatory meetings and increase extemporaneous forensic and critical thinking skills on site. Equally important for those students coming form outside the greater NYC area is the opportunity to interact with other Modern Orthodox Zionist students, both socially and intellectually."
Dani Shaffren
Events Coordiantor, Torah Academy of Bergen County
Teaneck, New Jersey
"I was a delegate for 4 years in high school (TABC; '00-'04), an assistant chair ('06), and then a chair ('07) while I was as student in YU, and I also coached the TABC Model UN team in 2008. Model UN was one of the best extracurricular activities that I participated in, in both high school and college; it was a lot of fun and very rewarding. I would say that my experience with Model UN contributed immeasurably to my public and extemporaneous speaking skills, as well as to my social networking and team-building skills. Put simply, the experience of Model UN helped me feel a lot more comfortable in public settings, and has especially enhanced my ability to speak "off the cuff" to an audience with little or no formal preparation. This ability has come in great use in many college group presentation projects and I'm sure it is a skill that will help me throughout life. And besides anything else, Model UN was always a lot of fun."
Rabbi J. Frances
Faculty Coordinator, Model UN Program, The Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy
Rockville, Maryland
"The Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy has been involved in YUNMUN for many years. YUNMUN has provided our students with the invaluable opportunity to develop themselves in so many areas. From an academic standpoint, the focus placed on substantive research and knowledge of relevant facts and issues is important. To be able to analyze and interpret, data and extrapolate is a key skill that is reinforced during preparation and at the event itself. From the developmental intellectual perspective, the skills that must be cultivated to engage in substantive, meaningful and respectful debate over the many issues that are raised have served our delegates well certainly at the conference, but in other areas as well. Relationship building skills through the formation of coalitions between various countries, public speaking skills, even something as mundane as knowing how to tie your own tie or being able to define "business attire" firsthand are gained from participation in YUNMUN.
From a socio-religious standpoint, while the Greater Washington DC Jewish community is within close geographical proximity to the Greater NY/NJ area, we are still somewhat of a microcosm. For our students to be able to join together with so many of their peers from all over North America for tefila, meals, and to simply "be" together in an intellectually challenging and well structured environment all working towards a common goal and drawing from a common religious/philosophical background is an experience that reinforces the idea that we are part of a Klal- a cohesive community.
For memories, Kutsher's was nice, but everyone remembers the ice storm in Parsippany. Stamford is a further step up. And I am sure all of us are glad that the NFL and Yeshiva University have apparently reached an understanding regarding the scheduling of the Superbowl."
Moshe "Ziggy" Zharnest
Secretary General - YUNMUN XX, Yeshiva University, Torah Academy of Bergen County
Fair Lawn, New Jersey
I remember coming back to TABC after my first conference 7 years ago and words could not describe how happy I was. The friends I made, the things I learned the way I grew as a student. I would have never imagined I would be the one trying to give the same experience to students in YUNMUN’s 20th year.
Ike Levine
Yeshiva University, Hebrew Academy of Nassau County
West Hempstead, New York
I remember going on YUNMUN for my first time held at the Parsippany Hilton. I was just amazed by the amount of people as well as the organization and order of the event. At all times, everyone had a specific place to be, a job to do and goal orientated to contribute to the seriousness and educational aspect of the event as if we were all part of the real UN.
One particular meaningful memory was during my senior year at HANC when I represented Kenya on the World Health Organization committee. Kenya was facing a water crisis forcing them into the spotlight. It gave me an opportunity to become really involved in the session, and made everything more fun than it already was!
Now I can look forward to giving back to YUNMUN now that I have just begun my college career at YU!
Rabbi Gabriel Munk
Principal, Block Yeshiva High School
St. Louis, Missouri
To me, the greatest moment of Model UN is its surreal realism. I remember being at my first YUNMUN, and I was so astounded by the deals made during lunchtime between delegates seeking to sway the votes in a certain direction. It almost reminded me of the sincerity we give to Torah learning which envelopes our lives in all places. I also greatly enjoy the YU Rabbonim who have come to speak -- it is a very special addition which helps to challenge and enhance our students' minds. In short there is a profound professionalism among the organizers, contestants, Yeshiva University students and Rabbonim that embraces our students effectively.
Mr. Phu Tranchi
Principal of General Studies, Shalhevet High School
Los Angeles, California
The Model United Nations program provides students with "real world" skills that will truly contribute their future success. There is currently a lot of press around the "Seven Skills Students Need to Survive the New Global Economy:" critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and leadership, agility and adaptability, initiative and entrepreneurialism, effective oral and written communication, assessing and analyzing information, curiosity and imagination. I have watched my students adeptly acquire these skills during the past eight years through their participation in YUNMUN and carry on to great achievements. Not coincidentally, a common thread among our most prodigious Shalhevet graduates is success at YUMUN.
Dina Muskin
Stern College, YULA
Los Angeles, California
Nerves. Excitement. Mostly Nerves. That’s what I felt when I first arrived at YUNMUN three years ago. I was so nervous I couldn’t even eat until I was back on the plane heading home. All of those meetings and long hours, researching my topics late at night, had finally come together in a massive operation that was bigger than anything I had ever participated in before. There was a charge that pulsated through the air. You could almost feel it as you looked around from delegate to delegate. But those nerves paid off. I don’t think I have ever had so much fun in my life. The debating, the arguing, the compromising. It was an experience that sitting in a classroom could never provide. I can’t wait to come back to YUNMUN, but this time sitting in the opposite direction and hopefully without the nerves.