Program Reviews

I’m Emma from Scotland and I chose a one-week short-term course with the refugee program.

It was all VERY last minute with me, less than a week before actually coming to the Centre, there are a few other Centres I had contacted, but I found this one to be the most responsive.

I did a few Arabic lessons which were great as I’ve been to many Arabic-speaking countries before, but I wish I had longer to learn more as the experience was positive and the first time learning a new language in many years!

I liked that we had something different activity-wise every day, whether it be getting a tour of the old city, going to the glass / ceramic factory or the Keffyiah factory among other things, as well as what was most important for me, was to visit the refugee camp, which was a truly humbling heartwarming and heartbreaking experience.. we basically went everywhere tourist wise that there is in Hebron and always got a good explanation from Osama.

The staff was amazing and it all seemed like we were all just one big family all in it together, we would cook dinner together some evenings and breakfast was always at 10 am with the staff and the other volunteers.

It’s a very relaxed atmosphere and everyone is very easygoing time-wise, it’s not a strict schedule and everyone is extremely flexible.

The evenings were spent with other volunteers where we would head out for some tea and shisha and play cards or just chat and chill.

I chose to stay with a host family which was really wonderful to just see how people live and go about day-to-day life here.

I had only been in Jerusalem for a few days before I came here, so still have a lot to explore and hope to come back here again as it’s one of my more memorable travel experiences, especially with the warmth and kindness and if course hospitality of the Palestinian people.

It certainly opened my eyes to the struggles they go through now and have been going through for many years.

I taught conversational English to a young guy who just wanted to practice his English before applying for his USA visa to be a camp counselor, I have no teaching experience, but it really didn’t matter as he just wanted to talk and have me correct him on any mistakes. I really enjoyed that part, being able to help someone like this.

I came in February and the weather was very cold which I didn’t really expect, so bring warm clothes if coming in winter!

I just loved everything from the food, the people, just the whole vibe of the place. Everyone would say hi just walking down the street. I went out walking around alone a lot of the time and never once felt unsafe.

I feel very passionate about Palestine and its people and hope to return again soon! I definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to get into the culture and have a better understanding of what’s going on and how people actually live here. A time in my life I will never forget! Thanks to everyone who made this all possible and hope to be back soon!

I cannot recommend the Excellence Centre enough for learning Arabic. I have been taking classes with Saja for a year and it has been an amazing experience. The classes are interactive, informal and great fun. It's been a great learning experience and I feel I have made great progress over the past year!

I had visited Palestine a few times before I found the centre but I had never had an Arabic class. I wanted to start learning the basics and build up my vocabulary. I quickly learned how to read and write and the classes are full of conversation to improve fluency. A really excellent experience so far!

Lana is an amazing teacher. She is knowledgable in all the grammatical nuances and structures of the language, as well as the everyday language of locals in Palestine. As a Palestinian who grew up in North America without learning Arabic, I had a lot of fear and guilt about not being fluent in my mother tongue, and Lana has made me feel so comfortable and confident in learning. She insists that I speak up and ask questions about what's not clear so that I can really learn and correct my mistakes. A great experience that I'd recommend to anyone wanting to learn how to communicate with Palestinians in our native language.

My name is Sara, I am 25 years old, and I volunteered at the Excellence Center for three weeks. At home I am a welder, but I have a love for journalism and have been wanting to do work in journalism and human rights. I decided to choose the journalism program to build up some experience and expand my portfolio, while getting to learn about Palestine and see and experience it in person. I also have always wanted to visit the Middle East in general, and learn Arabic, so to me it was a perfect opportunity that ended up being an amazing experience.

Your time in the center is based largely on what you set out to do when you come here, with room for change and flexibility. I came to get experience in my chosen field and to learn Arabic, so my days would start off with Arabic lessons, and then afterwards either a trip to a site, a meeting with a journalist/human rights center/local activist, or touring local areas. The center will set up things in regards to your program, however they are open if you have specific things you want to achieve, and will work that into your program. The staff here, and the teachers, are fantastic. I had Arabic lessons with Duha, and just with three weeks at 1-2 hours a day, I am now able to have (fairly simple) conversation in Arabic with Palestinians here in Hebron.

In the West Bank there are so many wonderful places to visit. There are site tours with the center in places like Old City Hebron and Al Fawwar Refugee Camp, where you meet and learn from the locals who live in these places about their history, their struggle under Israeli occupation, and their day-to-day life. There are also days off on the weekend to spend as you please, which I spent visiting places such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, Jericho, and a small village called Battir. The people you meet and talk to in these places are all so friendly and happy to have you as a guest, and to tell you their story and their experience as a Palestinian over a nice cup of coffee or tea. With the friendliness and hospitality of the people, the beauty of the land, the unique and ancient culture, I can say that I well and truly love it here and have enjoyed my time living in Hebron.

Speaking of living here, there comes the question of safety. As an American, I have been inundated for years with nothing but images of war, hatred, and suffering in the Middle East. My family was terrified for me, because they thought I would be in grave danger just by being here. However, the reality is very different. Hebron is an incredibly safe and friendly city, and Palestine in general is very safe as an international coming to the country. There has never been a time where I felt like I was actually in danger, and the people here do everything they can to make you feel at home and welcome. From being invited into random shops and places for coffee and conversation, talking with strangers on the street as we practiced each others language on each other, there is a culture of hospitality here in Palestine and I have never felt as strong a strong sense of community as I have here.

Overall, I have had a truly special time here in Hebron, and in Palestine as a whole. Whether it was packing five of us into a car and driving down to the Dead Sea, meeting a man in Bethlehem who took me to see the mountainside village of Battir, or getting to meet people who do incredible work in activism and journalism, I have made some truly unforgettable memories. I have met so many amazing people and made some great friends, who I will cherish for a long time. I also feel that I have gained a great experience in the program I chose, getting to interview people here, learning about the struggle under Israeli apartheid and documenting the reality of the situation on the ground in real-time, as well as making connections with great journalists who are more than happy to work with and help someone bring their story back home to America. If you want to come to Palestine and experience life here while learning about everything I mentioned, I would highly recommend the Excellence Center in Hebron. I would happily do it again in the future.

I enrolled in the Palestinian Arabic online class and it was the best decision I made during my Arabic learning journey so far! My teacher Doha is very experienced and professional, she creates a challenging and engaging learning atmosphere. The price is more than fair for the quality of teaching received - including all the materials. The administrative staff was also very supported and took time to answer my questions. All in all, I can only recommend this course to anyone interested in starting to learn or wanting to improve their Arabic skills!

The Excellence Center offers a wide range of incredible topics to learn and invaluable in-person learning opportunities. They are so welcoming and kind and answered all kinds of questions about the travel journey making me really comfortable with the process. They provide wonderful accommodations and daily trips that make the experience a true cultural immersion and life-changing education. I highly recommend this center to anyone looking for more knowledge and insight about Arabic, Palestine, and any of the wide variety of topics they offer.

The Excellence Center created a very professional and welcoming environment to learn and grow. I spent a month participating in the Human Rights Program. The staff of the Excellence Center, especially my Arabic teacher Duha, were incredible. They are all patient and understanding. Also, the traditional Palestinian breakfast every morning was something I always looked forward to. It was always made with love, and was a great introduction to Arabic dishes. All of us were also welcomed to have dinner or tea with Osama and Marwa at their home, which I always loved.

During my stay, I was able to visit essential sites to understand the complexity of the violence of apartheid. These visits included H2, Masafer Yatta, Al Fawwar Refugee camp, the office of Human Rights Defenders, a school for blind children, an Islamic orphanage for boys, a community kitchen run by women, the keffiyeh factory, a glass factory, and studios of various local artists. On my free time, I was very fortunate to hike in Hebron and to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah with other volunteers as well as locals from Hebron I met during my stay. My living quarters were extremely nice, but rather cold in the winter. Everything you need is in walking distance.

I thought I understood the experience in Palestine, but now I realize how little I knew before coming here. It’s very valuable for any activist to come here to see it with your own eyes. There are so many stories that aren’t exposed through the media. This was the most special time in my life, and I can’t thank God and The Excellence Center enough for it all.

The team is amazing! I spent two incredible weeks in Halle, where I had the chance to deeply explore Palestinian culture, traditions, and more. Everyone is extremely welcoming—you will feel at home from day one! The experience was truly enriching, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested.

A huge thank you to Rafat, Muaz, Dusan, and the whole team for their kindness and support. 100% recommended!

If you’re looking for an experience that combines learning, cultural exchange, and great people, this is the perfect place. Don’t hesitate to join—you won’t regret it!

Hebron is a city that will forever be imprinted on my heart. I feel grateful beyond measure to for the opportunity to spend four amazing weeks with everyone that I had the pleasure of meeting at the Excellence Center. The staff and volunteers welcome everyone with open and loving arms, truly making you feel like family. All the teachers I've had, Duha, Saja, and Haya, were by far the most impressive. Their level of English was astounding, making the process of learning Arabic so easy. I was speaking Arabic in public after just one week of lessons, which I could have never imagined possible. I hope to come back each year to continue my Arabic studies with them.

The various people you meet along this journey, who only radiate genuine love and kindness amidst so much pain and devastation, force you to alter your way of thinking. They remind you of what is truly important in life. They share the tragic details of their lives but always with a resilient spirit. Hearing and reading about Palestine before coming here is one thing, but living and connecting with these people on a personal level is an experience that I will never forget and will treasure forever. Hearing their stories absolutely breaks your heart, but their endless love and kindness remind you to always appreciate the little things in life, just as they do.

My heart is and always will be with the Palestinian people.

Everyone at the Excellence Center is remarkably kind and welcoming. Shared meals and time spent at the Center reinforce a sense of community among volunteers and students. Moreover, everyone at the Center is eager to help one another. Rafat was incredibly helpful in coordinating opportunities that allowed me to complete the work required for my university funding, and the entire team was always a joy to be around.

My experience learning Arabic at the Excellence Center was exceptional. I arrived without even knowing the alphabet, and by the end of my 13 weeks, I could read, write, and speak about basic topics. Lessons are designed to maximize language use, making rote memorization—something I was accustomed to in university courses—far less necessary. It was unlike any other language learning experience I’ve had, and I found it far more effective than university language classes—not to mention highly enjoyable.

The Center fosters a great community, and there are plenty of opportunities to meet people local to Halle. These opportunities made Halle feel like home during my 12 weeks there.

I would highly recommend the Excellence Center to anyone looking to learn Arabic and experience life in Germany. I gained an enormous amount from everyone I had the privilege of meeting through the Center. The value lies not only in the volunteering and educational programs but also in the meaningful community interactions that are part of everyday life.