I was in the Excellence Center for eight days and loved it. The appartments are big and in a quiet area. The friendliness of the people there is unbelievable, it's like a big family and after one day you feel like just a part of that family.
The volunteers come from a range of different countries, you don't have to be a native english speaker. I enjoyed the Arab lessons with my wonderful teacher Doha. I improved a lot and i loved to try the new words in the kitchen or at the souk after the lessons.

The tours through Al Khalil showed us deep insights in the circumstances, in which the people live here.
Please don t be afraid about our safety. As a foreigner, you won t have problems. I felt totally safe, also when i walked alone through the town.

This week was too short and i'll come back.

One advice: if you come in winter, don't forget warm clothes, Al Khalil is in the mountains and it is cold here.

Well, I went into the Engage Palestine experience with very little expectations because I had no idea what to expect. I wanted to come and support the Palestinian community but also learn Arabic as well.. the staff Marwa, Osama, Duha, Jojo and Hetem and others were extremely kind and supportive. In addition, I left with making several great friends from my co-volunteers. From the intensive Arabic to meeting with journalists, excursions in old city Hebron, visiting activists and hospitals with Osama and the weekends where I spent traveling with the rest of the group on our own. I can’t think Marwa and the women enough for their hospitality and Osama for his guidance. This was an experience I will never forget…so much so I will probably return.

My experience at the Excellence Centre was great. the people of Palestine welcomed me with warmth and kindness. We were given many opportunities to connect with people and community agencies. The center offers quality Arabic classes with experienced teachers, well educated worth my time. My Arabic teacher Lana put in a lot of time and effort to help give me a solid foundation for the language. Through my time with the center I was able to meet like minded people from all over the world allowing me to make international connections and friends for life.

My internship at the Excellence center in Hebron, Palestine was an unforgettable experience that had meaningful impact on both my personal and professional growth. This was my first time outside of the county, and the Excellence Center made it such an easy experience as a first timer. Throughout my time, I had the privilege of contributing to the local community while expanding my understanding of the legal field in Palestine. I love this community and I will return again to learn and help more!

I was blown away by the kindness and hospitality of every local I met in my time in Hebron. The staff at the excellence center is amazing and felt like friends immediately. I would love to come back someday and visit the staff at the center, it was an unforgettable experience. I learned a lot about Palestinian culture, food, and history. I always felt safe and very looked out for. Many people will say hello every time I walk down the street, but I never felt threatened or uncomfortable during any of these convocations. The apartment I stayed at was very nice and I always felt safe there. Seeing the occupation soldiers was the only thing that felt like a safety concern, but just mentally prepare yourself to be very respectful to soldiers and never put yourself in the middle when you see them. If your considering learning Arabic in Palestine, I highly recommend coming to stay with the excellence center!

My time in Hebron was an exciting time, I arrived with the intention of gaining perspective and insights into one of the most misunderstood and interesting countries on Earth. With the help of the Excellence Centre and the other volunteers who were present with me I gained a huge appreciation for the culture and history of this land, the people we met were friendly and kind with a joy for life and community that is difficult to find elsewhere.

At the end of my time here I do feel a though my perspective has been broadened, through challenges faced living daily life under an occupation to the culture shock of an Islamic country I have appreciated the things I have learnt through my time here.

Wow! What an incredible 9 weeks I've had with Engage in Palestine at the Excellence Center.

No one is a stranger in Palestine and experiencing the warmth and generosity I've felt everyday from the local people and the staff who have come to feel like a second family has been such a privilege.

Seeing firsthand the resilience and courage of Palestinian people, breaking bread with them and becoming a part of the daily routine has immediately felt like home.

The medical program organized through the centre here has enlightened me to the incredible work done through local NGOs and in hospitals. As a nurse, I love seeing health used as a force for connection and the introductions and connections I was able to make through the excellence center afforded many opportunities to witness health as peacebuilding and compassion in action.

I'm so grateful to have been hosted through this fantastic organization and the countless offers of kindness and generosity by Marwa and Osama, the team at the centre and my coworkers in action.

أنا ممتن للغاية للوقت الذي قضاه المركز في تنظيم دروس اللغة لي لتعزيز لغتي العربية!

Being in the west bank at such a precarious time in its history has been enlightening and humbling. I will forever cherish my time spent here and look forward to coming back again soon!

This year was my second time visiting the Excellence Center in Hebron and each time is better than the last! Marwa and Osama are such wonderful people who take care of their volunteers like their own children. I had an amazing time taking Arabic lessons with Haya and now feel more comfortable drawing letters in different alphabets!

I had such a fulfilling time with all the volunteers from around the world and learned so much about life in Palestine. Through networking I was able to follow professional photographers in Palestine and learned so much about my camera as well as Israeli apartheid. My goal in travelling to Palestine was to photograph soldiers shutting down Palestinian streets and the architecture of apartheid to share when I get home to America and I truly believe I reached my goal and then some!