Teach English & Study Arabic in Palestine (1-13 Weeks)

There is always some apprehension and anxiety when traveling abroad. Especially to a place you have never visited before. This is perfectly understandable. However, I want to relieve some of those anxieties for people.

I volunteered two months at the Excellence Center teaching four classes and taking Arabic lessons. On my off days, I traveled throughout Palestine. Managing your time and preparing your lesson plans ahead of time is crucial to keeping students engaged. The staff will provide you with lesson plans depending on the student level you will be teaching. Furthermore, the staff encourages the volunteers to come up with their own creative ways to keep the lessons interesting and fun (games, field trips, etc).

I understand safety is big concern for many who are contemplating coming to Palestine. For the two months I stayed in Palestine, I personally have never felt threatened or in danger. It goes with out saying, staying out of trouble will most likely keep you out of trouble. One will have to get accustomed to seeing soldiers and checkpoints throughout Palestine but after a couple weeks you'll adjust to your surroundings.

Traveling is pretty organized and efficient. The cabs in Hebron are affordable and dependable. There are shared service vans you can take to different parts of Palestine -- Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, etc. Going into Jerusalem and Israel will require you to take a bus, which you can do in Bethlehem. All this transportation is reasonably affordable. In addition to traveling on personal time, the staff at the EC will also take you on weekly field trips to areas in Hebron and around it. You'll get an insightful opportunity to meet the locals and hear their stories.

No need to overpack personal hygiene things. You can purchase everything upon your arrival in Hebron. It's Palestine's most populous city with bustling businesses and shops throughout.

People are INCREDIBLY friendly and hospitable. This type of generosity is very common in the Middle East and Muslim-majority countries. As an international you'll stick out like a sore thumb but this is no reason to fear. People will ask you in the streets where are you from and after you tell them, you'll get the same response, "welcome to Hebron! welcome to Palestine!"

I’m currently completing my second experience teaching with the Excellence Center in Hebron, Palestine. I initially came to Palestine to teach for one month in the fall of 2015, when I first fell in love with the bustle of Hebron’s streets and the warmth of its people. I returned to teach again for two months this spring, and will complete my time at the Excellence Center in just a few days.

I wholeheartedly recommend that others come to have this volunteer experience as well. The curriculum that we’re expected to teach at Excellence is interactive, and I’ve loved getting to know my students during the past two months. The local Arab staff are kind and supportive, and eager to help with any potential issues that volunteers might have in adapting to the culture or in settling in with host families. Hebron is beautiful, with gorgeous hillsides surrounding the city and an incredible Old City, that in Palestine is rivalled only by Jerusalem in terms of size and style.

Although Hebron is famous for being a center of Palestinian-Israeli tension, I’ve learned that there is so much more to this city than conflict. It’s a city of amazing people, who continue to welcome me into their homes. They have housed me, given me shoes, and shared countless cups of coffee and tea. It’s a city of generous and patient people who help me when I’m lost, feed me when I’m hungry, and give me roses from their gardens when I’m sad. Now this is what comes to mind first when I think of Hebron: not the conflict, but instead the sweet students, friends, and strangers who have made me feel like I belong in their city.

Of course, there are also challenges to living in a new culture. There are many things I still don’t understand, and I certainly can’t learn Arabic quite as quickly as I’d like. There are significant cultural differences, and I’ve had to adapt appropriately. Schedules (and lifestyles) are generally less structured here than they are in the US, and I’m continuing to learn to be flexible and gracious.

Overall, I am so grateful for the time that I’ve spent with the Excellence Center here in Palestine. I’ve learned so much from my time in Hebron, and will continue to process my experience here for a very long time. I’ll take back to the US many fond memories of a city that now feels like home, and people who now feel like family.

I don't know where to begin. I was here for three months, but each day held a new discovery, even to the last. There is immense beauty to be found in Palestine; I certainly won't forget the view of Jordan from the shores of the Dead Sea in Jericho, or the steeple of the Russian Orthodox church standing out amidst the mosques of Hebron. I won't forget the chaotic orchestra of traffic horns and shopkeepers selling their goods in the city center, or the sound of the prayer calls just before dawn. The greatest beauty, however, lies in the humanity of Palestine's people. There is as much to discover in a rooftop conversation with a few good friends as there is at Temple Mount or the Nativity Church. When I go back to America, I'll have photos and videos to remind me of where I've been and what I've seen. I'll put them in a photo album and they'll sit on a shelf as a physical testament to my adventures, alongside souvenirs and knick-knacks. These are the things that I'll show my friends and family in my home country, and through them I'll try to convey what it was like to be in Palestine. Unfortunately, it's not as easy to describe the genuine human connection and the closeness and warmth that is abundant in Palestinian society. I don't have a photo that can describe how it feels to hear strangers laughing together in Manger Square as if they were old friends, or a mother mourning her newly deceased son with quiet and tearless dignity. These are the memories that I will keep with me beyond the photos.

Dramatic rumination aside, here's the practical part of my review. I was at the Excellence Center for three months, and I really enjoyed my time there. The work feels meaningful and the staff are a treat. I stayed with two different host families, both of whom were nice, although I definitely have a favorite. Hebronites are welcoming to the extreme, and you'll never be without tea, coffee, or good conversation. There's a lot to see and do, and I wish I had time to do more, but I suppose that's all the more reason to return. Cheers!

I participated in the Teach English Speak Arabic program from November, 2014 to February, 2015. I thoroughly enjoyed my time I had spent with the Excellence Center. The staff were great and I never encountered a problem that could not be rectified. They were more than willing to help me and offer solutions to living in a new country. My Arabic teacher was very kind and patient with my lack of foreign language acquisition skills.In addition, the native Arabic teachers were fun to work with also.

I have taught in 4 different countries and I had the best time in Hebron. My students were amazing and very generous. I went to cafes with them, their homes for dinner and their businesses. Moreover, I even went to Bethlehem and Jerusalem with them. They were motivated and eager to learn English; I looked forward to each and every class, because I love interacting with new and stimulating people.

My host family was great and very helpful. I have made some lifelong friends in Hebron and without a doubt will return.

This was my fourth time to Palestine, but my first time to stay for an extended period. It was probably one of the best decision I ever made. I not only made friendships that will last a lifetime, but I now have a new perspective on life. The center offered many opportunities to visit places in and around Hebron and also allowed for us to do things on our own. The people are amazing and I now feel like Hebro is my second home.

Teaching at Excellence Center was one of (if not the) most fulfilling experiences of my life for a variety of reasons, the biggest one being the people I met there (many of whom I still keep in touch with more than three years later!). Living in Hebron with a host family is a great way to immerse yourself in Palestinian culture. You will be invited into peoples homes, eat delicious Palestinian food, go to weddings, and get an overall feel for daily life.

The teaching program itself is well structured. Excellence Center is used to accommodating many international volunteers with a variety of backgrounds. I had never taught before and found working here to be an incredibly positive learning experience in that regard.

I did not experience any large difficulties in my time at Excellence Center, but it is important to go with a respect for your environment and an understanding that you may not be able to do everything that you would in your home country and you may encounter cultural differences.

If you have the opportunity to work at Excellence Center, go for it!

Highlights: visiting towns and cities throughout the West Bank, including interesting sites in Hebron itself such as the Russian Orthodox Church, factories such as glass-blowing, the souq and Old City, and Mosque. Total immersion into Palestinian life WITH Palestinians: Weddings, Ramadan for example. Very meaningful for me was being included as one of the family, experiencing the love and warmth of family life along with family friends, and the opportunities to spend overnights in different villages with friends of the Excellence Center. Everywhere people told me "Welcome" and I really felt that sincerely. I was very at home. EC staff endeavored to fulfill my wishes and meet my needs the whole time.

Difficulties: I am fairly adaptable so difficulties for me tended to be few - experiencing the intense heat of the Judean desert when I'm from the north climes of America was a challenge; not taking precious water for granted was another; gauging clothing and dressing to make sure I was "in sync" with another's culture - these were very good challenges and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Living for nine weeks in Hebron was the best thing I have ever done in my life and I will say that for ever after!