Program Reviews

I had a wonderful experience with the Excellence Center in Hebron for 2 weeks, and honestly I wish I was able to stay longer. I did both the English teaching programme and the intensive Arabic course (6h/week). As soon as I arrived I felt both really welcomed by Osama and Marwa (and their family) and the people in Hebron/Al Khalil. What was special about the Excellence Center for me, is that they could provide a range of activities for free (I would have not been able to have accessed on my own as they rely on a wide network) related to the teaching programme, in order to get to know Palestine, Hebron and its neighbouring communities in a more profound way. To give some examples: I had a tour in the city of Hebron where the traces of occupation are clearly seen and pointed out and according to your own interests they might try to show you particular places that you might like. It's something that is harder to explore on your own as they provide you with info and special access to certain sites.
Secondly, I really liked and valued the teaching programme a lot. Especially because they provide a variety of educational contexts where you can teach English and visit the different schools. To give you a slight idea of the places I was able to teach in or visit in just 2 weeks: twice a week teaching in the Excellence Center itself, another two times in two different camps (Al Fawar and Al Aroub), and even a visit to the orphan school and the school for blind pupils.
Besides that, the breakfasts they provide every weekday are a nice way to be together with the family and the other volunteers, the cooking class is a nice way to learn about the Palestinian cuisine, and even some evenings we were invited at their place to have dinner on the terrace.
Next on, I was happy to have followed the 6h/week Arabic classes. Usually they were in the mornings after breakfast until noon. I felt that they matched me with a teacher that was able to work with my (basic) level of Arabic. My teacher (Haya) was very motivated to learn me to read and write the Arabic alphabet, and after 1 or 2 weeks I managed to do so.
Next on I was very happy to see that they gave me the freedom to organize two activities I wanted to do with the children of the Center: one was a (virtual) classroom exchange with some of my students in Belgium and another one is an Ultimate Frisbee training.
I'm eternally grateful to the Excellence Center for having been able to have experienced all these different sides and aspects of Palestine and Hebron - thank you!!! All the best and hope to see you soon, Thomas.

I only came for a week so my experience will be different from those who stay for longer. Having been to The Excellence Center before it was wonderful to be welcomed back by Marwa and Osama. I stayed in a shared apartment with other international visitors and felt safe and comfortable. I think it is better to wander about with others as not everyone responds the same way to foreigners, particularly women. For the most part, the people of Hebron are very welcoming and hospitable and will go out of their way to make you feel welcome. You may run into someone here or there who is less welcoming (more so children you bump into on the street, interestingly). My advice is to work hard at learning the language so that people can see that you care about the people and their culture.

As far as the program itself, each day began with shared breakfast, Arabic lesson, and then an outing to learn more about human rights issues that are affecting Palestinians in Hebron and other areas of the West Bank. Each day offered something new that was eye-opening. I think it is especially important given the state of things currently to see for yourself what the people of Hebron face every day; most of them are eager to share and be heard. I hope to visit again soon and know that I will be welcomed back.

I've been taking online Arabic classes with Duha and they've been amazing - it has a great balance of colloquial language and more technical learning points, and Duha is a wonderful person to chat to about anything. I started as a complete beginner and could read the script within a couple of weeks. Duha makes learning Arabic feel possible and fun, rather than intimidatingly hard. I'd highly recommend these classes to anyone interested in learning about the Arabic language and Palestinian culture :)

I have been doing bi-weekly classes with Duha for several months now. What impressed me the most is how quickly she was able to assess my level and main gaps and therefore tailored the instruction accordingly. She is so sweet, fun and supportive. Arabic class is the highlight of my week, always gets me in a good mood. She provided with all the necessary materials and she is always available for any questions. I improved my level so much in just 10 sessions remotely. I can imagine this would be even better in person. I absolutely recommend it.

I have been taking virtual Arabic lessons with the Excellence Center for a couple months now and the lessons have been wonderful! My teacher is very kind, helpful, and professional. She helps me to practice during our lessons and gives me homework to work on before our next lesson. She is very communicative and makes the lessons very fun and interactive. She teaches me how to speak, read, and write. I am excited to continue taking Arabic lessons and highly recommend the Excellence Center to others!

I've been taking online classes with Duha since September. She is very professional, the program is very progressive and logic.

At first, I just wanted to learn to talk but she convinced me to learn how to write and read and I do not regret it!

I take a lot of pleasure learning and Duha is very efficient and understanding. She knows how to help when I don't understand and makes learning fun.

I would really recommend taking classes with the Excellence Center if you want to learn levantine arabic!

I have a really nice experience learning Arabic online with the Excellence Center, especially with my teacher Duha. I started the lessons with some background knowledge, but Duha was able to adjust the lessons to my level and needs very quickly.

The lessons are one-on-one, which I really like, because there is a lot of time for questions, feedback, and for the teacher to focus on you personally. Duha gives very enjoyable and personalized lessons, and I really feel like I have learned and progressed a lot in different parts of the language, such as reading, writing, listening and speaking.

What I like most is that the lessons are not only useful "on paper", but also in real life. I am now able to understand small sentences and simple conversations, even when I hear my Arabic-speaking friends speak Arabic, which I love! I would definitely recommend the Excellence Center to anyone who is interested in learning Arabic.

They guide you through the lessons very well, and teach you real-life spoken language that you will actually hear and use. Thank you to Duha and the Excellence Center for such a wonderful learning experience!

So far, I have received 20 hours of Arabic lessons. I usually have two lessons a week. Despite the seven-hour time difference between my teacher and me, my lessons are always scheduled at a reasonable hour, which I am grateful for. My teacher, Shahed, is charming, and I am motivated to impress her by studying!

In the first month of lessons, I learned basic speaking phrases. The next month, I learned the Arabic alphabet and began reading and writing in Arabic. One of my recent homework assignments has been to read and translate a paragraph written entirely in Arabic. I am amazed that I can do this after only two months!

This was truly a life changing experience. Marwa and Osama were welcoming beyond expectations. They took such a good care of us volunteers. They organized many outings and activities and drove us everywhere.

My Arabic teacher Haya was so committed to me learning and checked in often with us about what we wanted to learn. We went on field trips too and i learned greetings and small conversational skills.

Doing to mini healthcare internship at the Greenland Foundation was very fulfilling. As an RMT I really enjoyed working with the physios and seeing how they practiced with the limited resources available.

I made lifelong friendships with some of the people there and it was also incredible to be with like-minded people volunteering there from all over the world.

If you're like me, you've probably found this site because you have a deep interest in learning more about the wonderful people of Palestine. I found that and more here at the Excellence Center. Our hosts welcomed me like family, and help me quickly feel at home in Al Khalil / Hebron. My fellow participants showed me the ropes and provided an invaluable support network. My Arabic teacher, Duha, made the most of every lesson. Her enthusiasm and dedication helped motivate me to really dive in with both feat to this beautiful, poetic language. As for the legal internship, I had the opportunity to spend time with a brilliant local attorney who brought me with him to court and his office, introduced me to local officials, and really elucidated the challenges facing litigators working under apartheid conditions and military occupation. Safety was never a concern, and the people of Al-Khalil/Hebron were incredibly welcoming. Osama and Marwa have built a beautiful community around the center, and you can tell by speaking to anyone in the vicinity that their efforts to bring people together across cultures to understand and fall in love with Palestine is appreciated. I had the opportunity to co-lead/co-teach an English club for local students. I was terrified to stand up at the front of a class at first, but it immediately became clear that these were amazing kids. Lastly, I would just want to impart the seriousness of the situation the people of Palestine are facing. While this trip has had lots of fun and excitement, it's not something that should be undertaken lightly. Many Palestinians families will never have the opportunity to visit their homeland, and being allowed to visit and share in the culture is an immense privilege. If you're looking to party and relax, this is not the program for you.