Program Reviews

My name is Lilly McKenzie, and in July and August 2019 I completed the Media in Palestine Program in Hebron with Go Palestine. I'm from Australia, but have spent the last year on a Journalism exchange in Europe. I've always been interested in the occupation, and want to pursue a career as a foreign correspondent covering humanitarian crises. The chance to experience a taste of life in Hebron, and learn about journalism in Palestine was a dream come true.
Coming to Hebron, I had no clue what to expect from the city, but it was more than I could've ever imagined. Go Palestine placed me with a host family in nearby Halhul, and they welcomed me into their family with open arms. Every morning I would come to Go Palestine at 10, and have breakfast with the other volunteers before the day's activities.
The daily schedule varied day-by-day, including meeting with journalists, local NGOs, activists, and grassroots organisations, as well as exploring the city of Hebron with local volunteer guides. Of course the week is never complete without Arabic lessons, and teaching classes. I was lucky enough to teach basic media and journalism skills to both High School and University students. Working among local volunteers, most of whom are university students themselves, it's easy to get a feel for the Palestinian culture. People take great pride in hospitality, and just walking down the street, you will be welcomed to the city by shopkeepers. Everyone will try to feed you, give you tea, coffee, and juice, eager to take care of you.
Walking through Hebron, you can almost forget that you're living in occupied territory, save for some closed streets and empty guard towers. Shopping eating, and just hanging out in Hebron, you feel safe and welcomed everywhere, no matter the time of day or night.
This program has been amazing, and I have made many lifelong friends, and shared fantastic experiences. I hope to come back in the future, Inshallah!

Hello,
My name is Chantal Udressy and I come from Switzerland. I have a Masters in English and French and I teach teenagers and young adults. I took part in the Program “Teach Conversational English in Palestine” with Go Palestine in Hebron.
During my three weeks there, I mainly taught English in some villages and in Hebron. The children and teenagers were very welcoming and eager to learn. I enjoyed teaching basic English to children in Seera (Dura) and in Soureef. In addition, the exchanges with the students with a more advanced level (in Hebron) was a great opportunity for me to discover many elements about Palestinian culture and lifestyle.
I also had great Arabic lessons with Nadine; she is very sweet, motivating, patient, and she explains the concepts clearly! I have learnt some basic Arabic and I hope to keep on studying this beautiful language. The Center’s environment is good: the staff is always available and helpful, the teachers are kind and talkative. Regarding the volunteers, they are friendly and funny.
Moreover, I participated in various activities with the Center. I visited the Old City of Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque, as well as the Russian Orthodox Church. The Center also organized a visit of a Bedouin village: it was tough to realize how the life of its inhabitants is affected by the presence of settlers. I enjoyed the evening where we played soccer, went to the swimming pool, and had a barbecue with some people of the neighborhood. Perhaps the most memorable experience was the trip to Akka: it was nice to spend time on the beach and to visit this beautiful city with the staff, volunteers, and Palestinian families.
Beyond my visits with the Center, I went to Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth – cities that I really appreciate. I also (re)discovered Jenin and Nablus. I love travelling in Palestine, admiring nature, visiting cities and meeting people.
I lived in Halhul with a lovely family: they welcomed me well, spent time with me, wanted to improve their English and taught me a bit of Arabic. However, living in this part of Palestine was challenging for me because it was really different of my previous experiences in other Palestinian cities. Here, the majority of people is not used to see foreigners and feeling awkward while walking into the streets is not a good impression.
Concerning safety and security in Palestine, I did not have any problems: all went well to arrive in Hebron and to travel to the different cities. Nevertheless, it is impressive and depressing to see occupation all over the place, with the soldiers, towers, wall and checkpoints.
What I like the most about Palestine is its importance for religion, its history and its landscapes. It goes without saying that I love the friends that I have here. I have had many good experiences in Palestine but if I had to remember only one, it would be having spent time in the Old City of Jerusalem with a local friend: indeed, it is very different to discover how people live there instead of visiting as a tourist.
To be honest, I do not have a clear lasting impression about Palestine, I suppose that it will me take time to grasp the meaning of this experience and to realize how much I have learnt. My overall experience with Go Palestine and in Palestine is challenging but worthwhile.
Last but not least, I would recommend the following: it would be great to improve the organization. For example, the visits are very nice but not always “officially” announced; thus, it would be good to receive more information about them.
It would also be welcomed to have a better connection between the old center (where I had my Arabic lessons) and the new one (where I taught and from which I left for the villages). Indeed, I almost never had the opportunity to have breakfast with the volunteers because I had to move from one center to the other.
Additionally, fifty children in one class (like in Siraa) is often overwhelming. I hope that it will be possible to split the class into two groups in order to adapt the teaching to the level of children. Effectively, with so many of them, the noise is inevitable, and the gaps between the levels is huge.
Finally, benefiting more from the presence of volunteers would be a good idea: we are often in a hurry only to end up waiting for a long time; the schedules are not clear and change frequently. With an improvement of organization – namely regarding the transports to the villages –, teaching could be more effective.
I want to thank all the people involved with the Center: the job done here is crucial, the programs are various and interesting.

My name is Hannah Brock and I’m a 20year old student of History and Politics at the University of Oxford. Although I was only able to spend one week with Go Palestine in Hebron, it was very informative and highly enjoyable!

During my time here, I have been introduced to many people who’s stories have helped shed light on the difficulties that ordinary Palestinians face day to day under Israeli occupation. Having open conversations with the families and people that we visited gave me very valuable insight into helping me form an opinion and a better understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Not only did I get to meet local people and activists, I was shown round the Old City and Shuhada street to observe for myself the effects of Israeli occupation on the local population. We also visited the Ibrahimi mosque and had time to ourselves to walk through the Israeli settlements to get a feel for the difference in life between the segregated communities.

Culturally, staying with a wonderful host family who cooked kofta with us and were super warm and welcoming made my experience really special. I would often get food with the friends that I made at the centre - both other volunteers as well as centre members - and hang out in the evenings around Hebron. On our penultimate day, the centre also took us to visit a local glass blowing factory which I found fascinating and a keffiyeh factory too, to help us better understand Palestinian craftsmanship.

Staying in Hebron felt very safe, I would regularly walk home in the evenings with a friend and aside from cars beeping and waving at me in a friendly manner, I never felt in danger. You may feel wary around Israeli soldiers because they all don big guns which can be intimidating but they generally tend to treat foreigners better than the locals. The organisers and volunteers at the centre are so wonderful and helpful in every way and made me feel very at home. They were always receptive to my many many questions which I truly appreciated.

I would recommend others to visit the centre for the human rights course but I would also recommend that you consider what you would like to do in Hebron. The course is really flexible and the organisers are excellent at shaping the course around your priorities so having a few things in mind is a great starting point. The course is not entirely human rights focused and you will get a really good all-round picture of life in Hebron as well as Palestinian culture.

Shukran Kteer Go Palestine Hebron!

My name is Martha and I am a 20 year old Politics and International Relations student, studying at the University of Birmingham. I came to Hebron for a week-long Human Rights course in August 2019, during a month-long trip to Palestine.

My week in Hebron has been fantastic. My friend and I stayed with Marwa, who provided everything we could have wanted and was so warm and funny. It was great to meet her enormous family too and practice our Arabic with them, as we began to learn it at the centre. Osama, Mahmoud, Mohammad, Mutaz, Rafat and everyone else who works at the centre were friendly, helpful and very well informed.

During the week, we did many activities, leaving the centre to visit people or sites every day. I thought that our course would mostly be in classrooms, learning through lectures and so on. However, almost everything we learnt was through meeting Palestinians, human rights activists and through tours by fantastic guides (especially Mahmoud). We visited the closed down Shuhada Street, the Ibrahimi mosque and a family who live surrounded by three checkpoints. We also did fascinating things which were cultural and apolitical, such as visiting a glass-blowing factory, a keffiyeh factory and the Old Town market stalls.

We got to know a lot about Palestinian culture. We learnt some (limited!) Arabic, ate lots of fantastic food (especially knafa and kufta) and spoke to as many Palestinians as were willing to speak to annoying foreigners! The thing which has amazed me the most about Palestinian culture is the openness and friendliness of Palestinian people. We have got used to hearing “welcome to Hebron!” shouted at us on the street, and when we got lost people were always willing to help us as much as they could. The culture of chattiness and friendliness has been such a fantastic discovery on our trip here.

We have always felt safe. My friend and I (both female) have walked home almost every night, mostly quite late, and never felt unsafe during the long walk. People were by and large friendly and helpful, I never felt at risk while we were exploring the city. I felt uncomfortable when we were in military-controlled areas as I’m not used to being around police/soldiers with guns etc, but we never witnessed any incidents whilst on our trips.

I would recommend this programme highly. I have learnt so much about the situation for Hebronite Palestinians, met so many interesting people and had lots of interesting discussions. If anyone is interested in the difficult life that has been created for Palestinians here, or the ever-changing and complex military oppression, then this course is brilliant. Mahmoud was the perfect guide and provided lots of local insights and translated for us tirelessly. I would love to come back.

Hello, my name is Natalia Macias and I’m 23 years old. I am Mexican American and I’m currently living in Asheville, NC.
Choosing Go Palestine was probably one of the best decisions I could have made. Not only is everyone friendly and welcoming, but everything you do in the center is purposeful and makes you feel as if you’re truly reaching your highest potential. In Hebron, it’s not very common to see foreigners around, so when the Palestinian people see you they try their hardest to speak English to make sure you’re welcomed here! It was truly an amazing experience.
During my stay here, I volunteered in the Teaching English as a Volunteer program. My day to day schedule varied quite a bit but it was fun because it kept me on my toes. I was able to assist in the old center with three of the English teachers who are amazing at everything they do. I also was able to teach English in the villages nearby such as Beit Ommar, Sureef, and Sair. Apart from teaching I was also able to see the beautiful Old City of Hebron along with Akka and a few other cities. Learning Arabic 3 hours a week was also something I was able to do. I had an amazing teacher who truly helped me understand the language.
All the volunteers and those who work at the center make sure you have an unforgettable time here.
Being able to see the Palestinian culture first hand was honestly something so indescribable and extremely pleasant to see. In the Palestinian community I was able to see how no one is homeless here. If you don’t have food, your neighbors will supply. If you don’t have something, your neighbor is sure to help you with the biggest smile. Everyone is kind to each other. I think the most surprising thing I saw while being here was how the Palestinian people are able to rise up even under an occupation. They don’t sit around waiting for change to happen, they make the change happen. There are amazing activists we were able to meet that were leading these changes. The Palestinians keep rising even when they are restricted from so many things.
I can say I have felt safe or even safer here in Hebron than I ever have in America. It’s very important to not be discouraged by western media saying that Hebron is conflicted. Once you’re here, you’ll see that this place is probably one of the safest places you’ll be. Everyone is kind and protective of one another even if you’re a foreigner. There’s nothing to be afraid of when coming to Palestine. It’s safe and if you get lost, there’s surely someone who is willing to help you.
I would recommend 10 out of 10 to come volunteer at the center through Go Palestine. For me it was a life change and eye opening experience that I will talk about positively for the rest of my life. Hebron has even shaped the way I think now. You’ll get the chance to help around the community while making new friendships that will last a lifetime.

Murhaba (Hi)! My name is Rayyan; I am 20 years old and I am from a city named Birmingham in Great Britain. For me, the reasons for which I decided to come to Palestine are plentiful. Firstly, as a Law student – I have just finished my first year at the University of Oxford – the Lawyers in Palestine program has propelled me into the heart of key legal issues: I have had the opportunity to meet with local lawyers, activists and government officials to hear, first-hand, their experiences of the occupation in both legal and non-legal contexts. This has, in turn, formed the backbone of my time in Al-Khalil (Hebron).
However, more importantly, the cultural immersion into Palestinian life has, above all, been
extremely formative. I have been lucky enough to live with a host family (the Murads) during my two weeks in Hebron. Although, at first, I was quite anxious to do so, the Murads
welcomed me into their family as their own! As a city, I have found Hebron to be great place to stay. Along my daily walk to the centre, King Faisal Street served as a microcosm of life in Palestine: each day and night, I was exposed to the various foods (so much Falafel!),
produce, stools, and people, many of whom often greeting me and welcoming me to
Palestine – not forgetting the occasional Shisha in the evenings! In our free time, I have
traveled to Palestine and Israel. In turn, this has allowed me to view contrasts between
the different ways of life in different Palestinian cities, as well as serving as a great means to try (and maybe fail at) speaking my newly learned Arabic! Above all, my short time at the Palestinian Centre has been beyond profound. I have met a diverse range of people from all around the world – and with some, I have formed friendships that will last a lifetime. The memories I have gained here I will forever cherish and will shape the way in which I grow as a person. Shukran!

Marhaba!
My name is Francesco and I am a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Derby, England. I decided to come to Palestine and Hebron particularly because I am interested in the politics of the place as well as the Arabic language. I had also visited Palestine on previous occasions and I was impressed by its friendly people and beautiful cities. Despite the negative stereotypes you might have heard about Palestine and Hebron in particular, it is a really safe place and an ideal environment to study Levantine Dialect.
My experience at the Palestinian centre has been very positive. I have taken the Intensive Arabic Course and I have seen great improvements in my language skills. I have spent only 2 weeks in Palestine this summer, but I would like to return later on for a longer period. The centre organizes interesting activities every day, so the programmes are also a great chance to learn more about the people of Hebron, Palestinian-Israeli relations and life under occupation. As someone that works in education, I am convinced that Go Palestine and the Excellence Centre offer a great formative experience for those interested in the Arabic language and in the culture, politics and history of Palestine

I had an amazing experience with the GoPalestine media program, I visited a refugee camp, radio station, met journalists, tours of the area, got first hand experience of the situation in The West Bank, learned a lot about the conflict and also had a lot of free time to visit the wonderful sites and places of interest to see in Palestine. The people are super friendly and welcoming and the food is great. It is very safe and I never seen any crime. The weather was fabulous and you will get to see some beautiful places. I was able to write articles about my experience in Palestine and it will help a lot towards my future career. I would highly recommend this program for any students or graduates or anyone of any age interested in the West Bank

My name is Jasmine and I am Italian, but I live in London and I am studying International Relations. My studies specialise in the Middle East and U.S. relations with Israel and the Middle East, so I was very motivated to come to Hebron to learn more about Israeli human rights abuses and how the occupation is affecting Palestinians.

I also wanted to learn more about the Israel-Palestinian conflict as well as human rights issues in Palestine from my own perspective. Hebron in particular, is a very important city to understand more about the conflict as Hebron is completely divided into two part: H1 and H2. H1 being controlled by the Palestinians and H2 being controlled by the Israelis.

In your own time, I would recommend visiting H2 to see what life is like inside an Israeli settlement. It is a very eerie environment, filled with a disproportionate amount of heavily armed soldiers for the settlers and you can use your time there to learn about life for the remaining Palestinians living in H2 and how they deal with harassment from the Israelis.

So far I have visited NGOs, refugee camps, universities and Palestinians living in H1 who shared their stories about living under the occupation and allowed us to ask more questions. The stories shared were incredibly moving and showed the resilience of the Palestinians, yet it was difficult to understand how Israeli human rights abuses can continue unchecked.

People in Palestine are laid back and enjoy spending their time connecting with one another. It is not uncommon for a shop owner to see you walk past and invite you into his store for tea or coffee. From when I arrived in Hebron trying to find the Centre, to looking for the nearest ATM or trying to travel to other Palestinian cities - people were always quick to help.

Do not let the media discourage you from visiting Hebron or other Palestinian cities. Generally, Palestinians are very generous and welcoming people, especially to tourists. The cities in Palestine are full of life and always safe to visit.

I’m Nikka Marie Dominique and I am currently a university student studying psychology in California, United States. I served as a Human Rights intern for Go Palestine for five weeks.

I’m extremely passionate and dedicated in learning about the wellness of people, specifically youth, in environments riddled with extreme trauma. I have more than five years of field experience working with young people in America on their mental and emotional stresses, yet realized that I did not have a satisfactory amount of knowledge on the state of children’s emotional health in places other than the United States. In the end, I chose to come to Palestine because I wanted to expand my understanding on human and children behavior in trauma and knew Palestine would have a lot to learn from.

Al Khalil (Hebron) is a completely different society and environment than any of the ones that I’ve known. It’s an area that is riddled with stereotypes and misconceptions, and I rather understand the reality of the situation for myself. By choosing to come to Palestine, I knew that I would have a completely novel learning experience that would enhance my knowledge in ways that I couldn’t if I were to just simply to stay at home and do research on the topic.

Palestine, in general, is safe. Every day as I manage the city by myself, I am majorly confident about my safety. I am comfortable being alone and taking taxis, walking several kilometers, being out at dark, being at cafes or restaurants, and more. Being an outsider, I definitely notice the army guarding specific and limited places in the city, but unfortunately understand that my foreign citizenship makes soldiers more likely to negatively interact with locals instead of me. As a young foreign woman, the only moments that I felt threatened was by men on the streets, and even then, the street harassment I have experienced here in the city is comparable to the street harassment I experience at home in America as a woman. In total, I feel fairly secure in Palestine.

Go Palestine has been excellent in supporting me and ensuring that I have relevant activities to my program. I have conducted interviews with various Palestinian non profit organizations and have gone on visits to areas that are especially demonstrative of the human rights violations in Palestine. I have highly valued most, if not all, events that my program coordinator has organized to facilitate my learning.

Being able to live with a host family in Hebron city has been one of the most prominent highlights of my stay in Palestine. From what I’ve heard from other participants at the excellence center, experiences can vary. I believe that the host family situation can depend on what the intern decides- if the intern hopes to be out more, then the family can be a safe and respectful place to stay, but if the intern, like myself, hopes to interact with the family more, then the family can grow to be a lasting and meaningful relationship. I am so happy to say that I now consider my host family just my family and all of us plan to stay in contact even after my departure from Palestine.