Program Reviews

Great programme to learn Arabic and get a real immersion in a Middle Eastern Environment.
The 18 hours of Arabic lessons were spread over 2 weeks and were done one on one with the same teacher. This was great to learn fast and practice. I was surprised that I could learn the entire Arabic Alphabet and get started with conversational Arabic. Overall, very impressed with the quick progress over such a short period, and starting from zero.
While the classes were usually in the morning, the afternoons were used for volunteering activities, and included teaching english as well as Human Rights visits. The visits to specific areas of Hebron, the refugee camps and the villages were particularly impactful as it gets you to appreciate better the situation in Palestine.
It was really great to be in an environment with other students/volunteers and to share experiences together. We also spent the weekend travelling together to Jericho and the Dead sea. And while I was significantly older than the rest of the group, I could connect well with everyone and had great fun with the group.
I was initially worried about traveling to Palestine but had a very smooth entry at Tel Aviv Airport and a smooth travel onward to Hebron. Living in a shared appartment with other volunteers was fun and made it easier to understamd how things work. I also enjoyed the opportunity to try the delicious (and affordable) Palestinian food. I did not know what to expect when I travelled to Palestine, and I am leaving with incredible memories of a super friendly and welcoming nation. I am sure I will stay connected with the Palestinian and International friends I made in Hebron.
A great experience!

My name is Linda, I’m 19 and I’m from Italy. I study political science and I therefore decided to apply for the Human Rights Internship here at the Excellence Center.
I chose to come to Palestine for many different reasons, but mainly because I was attending a class about this geographical region and I wanted to learn about it directly from the field, rather than just from the books.
I spent 6 weeks at the center and I had an amazing experience: the staff at the center is super friendly and welcoming and everyone is always ready to help you out whenever you need. I had the chance to live with a local family which taught me so much about the culture and the traditions and made me immediately feel like I was one of them. With the center I had the opportunity to take Arabic classes with an amazing teacher and to go on several visits: local families that told me about their life under occupation, refugee camps (where I also had the opportunity to teach English to the kids), Israeli settlements, villages around Hebron, local NGO’s and human rights activists, lawyers…
The center also provided us with some classes in order to give us an historical background of the occupation and prepare us before the visits.
During my time here I also had the opportunity to go on several trips around the West Bank and Israel with some fellow volunteers: I visited Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jericho and the Dead Sea, Jaffa, Haifa and Akka.
Regarding safety and security in Palestine, there was never a time that I felt unsafe in Hebron or while traveling: Palestinians are the nicest and most welcoming people I have ever met.
After spending 6 weeks in Hebron, I can say beyond doubt that I’m going back to my country as a more educated and experienced person. I definitely recommend the center to anyone interested in learning more about Palestine and helping its people: I am already planning on going back next year!

Excellent program with Muaz teaching. The environment was respectful and fun! The classes were catered to our language levels and interests and were extremely engaging and helpful in improving speaking, listening, reading, and gaining exposure to natural language flow and usage. Would highly recommend taking classes with Muaz he is so helpful and supportive in class and on tours around the city! This is a great opportunity for learning language, culture, and building connections! Incredible experience overall!

I recommend Excellent Center for the peoples who wants learn different languages in the warm and respectful atmosphere. Me and my colleagues had a classes with Moaz. He is truly the best instructor in Excellent Center. He is so professional and passionate about the teaching. Also he is so fun!!!
We had traditional breakfast everyday in the center. Building friendship and boosting morals in the center was awesome.
Make sure you get a class with Moaz Alabid!
Thank you Rafat and his team for everything.

My name is Hibiki Kanda. I have a degree in International Liberal Arts and will be studying for master’s degree in Migration and Development from 25th September.

During my stay in the Excellence centre, I was involved in Volunteering with refugees program and I learnt Arabic, visited sites in Hebron, heared local people’s stories and taught in Al Fawwar camp. I found the Arabic lessons a lot of fun. I wish to continue learning it. I found the environment in the centre excellent. Everybody is very kind and so welcoming. You are at home from day 1.

During my time I visited, Abraham Mosque, Al Fawwar camp, Old town and Human rights defenders. I also visited Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Dead Sea and Tel-Aviv during my whole stay in Palestine.

I found living in Hebron quite Amazing. It was far safer than I had originally thought. You can walk around alone without any concern during day or in the evening.

What I most like about Palestine was the people. The Hospitality was amazing. Meeting the people was my favourite experience. The friendliness of everyone in Hebron was just so good. My lasting impression of Hebron and Palestine is how kind everybody is. Would like to come back to meet everyone again.

Overall it was brilliant. Would definitely recommend to my friends.

My name is Fionn McPeake, I am 22 years old, and I am from Ireland. My stay at centre lasted only 10 days, although I wish I could have stayed for longer. I participated in the Human Rights Internship, and it was a fascinating and enriching experience. The program consisted of unforgettable trips, meetings, and discussions in Hebron and beyond, including a tour of the old town and Al Ibrahimi Mosque, and a visit to Al Fawwar refugee camp south of Hebron. Although my stay was short, I was still able to get see the difficulties Palestinian people face everyday as a result of the Israeli occupation. Despite these difficulties, the people here are among the friendliest and most welcoming I have ever come across. They are happy to help you at every turn and go out of their way to make you feel welcome and at home. Safety really is not an issue for visitors, and I felt super comfortable throughout the entire experience.
The Centre also presents a wonderful opportunity to learn Arabic. Due to the amazing teaching at the Centre and the immersion experience of living in Hebron, I was able to achieve a good level of understanding of Levantine Arabic in quite a short time. My teacher, Haya, was so helpful and kind, as are all of the other teachers at the Centre. One of the best parts of the experience here was meeting so many lovely, like-minded volunteers/interns during my stay. With the weekend off, you have the opportunity to travel with friends you make to other beautiful places outside of Hebron – for example, I was able to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho (hot), and even swim in the Dead Sea. Throughout the experience I have also had the chance to try a huge range of Palestinian foods which I look forward to trying to replicate at home in Ireland.
Overall, my stay in Palestine has been hugely enjoyable and incredibly interesting. I have met so many amazing people and learnt so much in such a short time and I am looking forward to coming back for longer. I highly recommend coming to the centre for anyone who is looking to immerse themselves in the wonderful culture Palestine and its people have to offer.

My time with the excellence center and in Palestine has been a truely precious and remarkable experience, along with helpful and fun arabic lessons, activities such as the old town tour really made the experience. The community within the center is friendly and welcoming along with the rest of Palestine. The accomdidating and hospitible nature of the Palestinian people is truely remarkable. I felt extremely safe my stay aswell as comfortable. The food palestine is incredible but the people have been my favourite aspect of the trip. My host family made bfeel part of the family and I feel extremely thankful for my experiance

I had an incredible experience during my two weeks of volunteering at the excellence centre in Halle. The team all have such interesting backgrounds and their journeys to get here and the work they now do are both eye opening and inspiring. I can honestly say that the work they are doing is contributing to making the world a much better place.

Rafat, Muaz, and Ali are all incredible people. The excellence centre always has good vibes with them around, and the place runs seamlessly under their guidance. The shared breakfast each morning is always tasty and provides a great social environment. They are always organizing social meet ups for the volunteers outside of the centre as well.

The English teaching lessons for refugees are run in an organized, yet relaxed manner. Rafat ensures that volunteers are paired well with students and trusts us to teach in a way that we feel suits us and the students. He is also always close by to answer whatever questions we may have, and to help out with whatever else we may need.

The German lessons were organized and run very well. Muaz is a great teacher – very engaging, and always patient! 2 weeks was certainly not enough to gain an extensive knowledge of German, but I left with a much better vocabulary and understanding of the language thanks to Muaz.

My Time at the excellance center and palestine has been a truely precious and unforgetable experience. Firstly the course was not only really fun with great teaching but also provided me with valuable foundation in arabic that I plan to take futher. I have felt extremely welcomed and comfortable in the center and in palestine in general. Palestinian hospitality is truely remarkable and sincere. I felt extremely safe due to the helpfullness of the local people and am extremely thankful for such an incredible experience.

I had the amazing chance to participate on the Human Rights Internship Programme. During this week in Hebron i was able to visit the old town of Hebron, the AL-Ibrahim Mosque and visit a refugee camp. I would say that what i experienced exceeded my expectations. The cuty was very safe and historically rich. Reading on books About Palestine and its history cannot ,match the reality of being here. Also, i had the chance to meet people from all over the world and share valuable experiences with them. I would definitely recommend!!