Program Reviews

My name is Louise, and I’m from Australia. I work in education development and have had had the good fortune to live and work in many countries. Hebron is the friendliest and safest place I have ever been to. I have never felt so welcomed by a community as I have in Hebron, from neighbours, taxi drivers, students, shop keepers to people in the street. This is the most hospitable place I have ever experienced.
I participated in the Palestinian Refugees program and had the privilege of teaching displaced young people in a camp near Hebron. I got to know so many people living in the camp and hear firsthand the stories of their lives and learn a lot about the history and current situation of Palestinians. I also taught in a beautiful village outside Hebron, which has many historical sites. The Palestinian colleagues who supported and helped me in these activities are amazing. They are so knowledgeable about history and the best times I spent here were conversations with the wonderful people I met during my stay. I got to enjoy A LOT of traditional Palestinian food- everywhere I went I was offered delicious food!
My Arabic greatly improved, due to both the clear teaching of my Arabic Teacher at the centre and the willingness of locals to be patient and explain to me what I could say in Arabic. I have lived in Arabic speaking countries before but honestly the Excellence Centre in Hebron is the best place to learn Arabic because of the expertise of the teachers, who make interesting, simple and practical lessons and the friendliness of the locals, most of whom speak some English but who are also really happy to talk with you in Arabic.
The Excellence Centre feels like home, the daily breakfast is delicious, and there is a constant supply of freshly ground coffee! The Excellence Centre has a great vibe, the students studying English are so happy to talk with visitors and also show visitors around, to their favourite café, and the best place to have shawarma. The Excellence Centre is highly regarded by the local community because it makes a real difference in the life of Palestinians.
I was so busy and made so many friends in Hebron I didn’t even go outside to visit any of the usual ‘tourist’ sites! I had the best time just hanging out with the friends I made in Hebron and eating amazing food. I explored the fascinating Old City of Hebron- people on the street and in shops will teach you about their area, the history and the culture. People here are so happy to share with you their beautiful city.
The welcoming culture of Hebron makes it the safest city I have ever spent time in. It feels like everyone in the city wants to help you. There is no crime, I left my phone in a café and it was returned to me. I took taxis off the street, visited strangers’ houses, walked everywhere. The greatest challenge was eating all the food I was offered and finding time to take up all the offers of hospitality.
Come here to learn about Palestine, to make friends and to have an amazing time while also feeling that you contribute positively to the Palestinian community.

Experience Report
My name is Simon Kim, and I am from South Korea. I study political science and
international affairs in Gordon College in the United States. I came here for the Human rights in Palestine program.
In my program of two months, I have mainly had a lot of different visits to numerous
places around Hebron, Arabic classes, and teaching English classes to Palestinian children. I had an intensive Arabic program, where I had my Arabic classes for two weeks. During these two weeks, I was able to learn how to read and write, and also some of the basic conversations. The teachers here had a lot of experience teaching, which gave me even better experience learning Arabic in this place. They were also really passionate in their job of teaching, and they actually cared about our Arabic knowledge, unlike some of the teachers in other countries where they do not have the genuine passion in teaching. Also, this center was just the right place to learn Arabic, because I got to actually use the language to people outside after learning them. Also, other volunteers were also passionate in learning Arabic, which was also a huge merit in my Arabic lesson journey.
Also, one ohter huge part of the program was all the visits that we had. We had a
chance to go to different places, which some of them were related to the human rights and the current Israeli-Palestinian issue, and the others about the Palestinian culture. The most memorable places for me were the Human Rights Defenders and the Bedouin camp, where the volunteers had a chance to listen to the first-hand accounts of the victims of this conflict. Moreover, since the other cities were all nearby, it was really easy for me to travel to different places, such as Jericho, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem.
Of all things, my favorite part of my two months here in Palestine must be the people.
Unlike the way the western media portrays the people in the region, Palestinians were very hospitable and welcoming to not only me, but to all foreigners. Before I came here, I was a bit worried that this place might be dangerous and I might be the target of a crime, but as soon as I came here, the hospitality of the local people made me realize that my all my worries were unnecessary. It was really safe here to the point that I did not feel threatened or dangerous even though I was outside alone at night, which would have been different if I stayed in New York or Boston. During my two months here, I really enjoyed the kindness of the Palestinians, not to mention the delicious food and cheap transportations.
This experience for me was such a whole new journey, which taught me a lot of new
things, not only about the human rights issue but also about how to interact with other
individuals and how to coexist with them. I do recommend this program to other people. The presence of volunteers here means a lot in this place and it will mean a lot to the volunteers themselves.

The Excellence Centre in Europe was one of the most incredible opportunities I have and perhaps will ever have.

Arriving in Germany not really knowing what to expect, I found myself living with six other amazing roommates in what was already well known as "The Dream House". So many wonderful memories were made with those people in particular, especially chatting on the balcony and cooking together.
I was still unsure what to expect from the Centre itself when I arrived there the next morning, but the surprise was a pleasant one. Breakfast every morning was a great opportunity to try new food and meet more people... especially because the faces are always changing! My first Arabic lesson sparked a fire that will hopefully fuel me to reach fluency in a beautiful language, taught by amazing, patient, intelligent teachers.
Teaching English to a range of students with varying social and linguistic background was a great pleasure. I got to explore their culture as well as teaching them about my own, whilst testing my knowledge of English and the flexibility of my German and Russian. Teaching English from my second languages was a challenge I will never forget, especially because it took place in the friendliest environment in the world!

There is so much more to say, and I don't have the words to convey how incredible the Excellence Centre is. I feel so privileged to have been part of this amazing experience, and hope to return in the future, to rekindle friendships and reunite with people that have, in just a month, become like family.

I've been staying in Halle with the Excellence Center for the past ten weeks and can confidently say it has been one of the most memorable/fulfilling experiences of my life. This was my first time traveling abroad alone which was extremely intimidating, especially considering the significant amount of time I would be staying in Germany. Therefore, upon my initial arrival, I was somewhat shy, but because of the Excellence Center's warm and welcoming environment, my nerves subsided very fast. Through daily breakfasts, weekly football matches, and outside events, I got the opportunity to garner friendships with the staff, fellow volunteers, and students attending the local university.
If I could recommend a summer study program to anyone, it would be the Excellence Center. Whether you have experience speaking German/Arabic or not (I didn't)/experience teaching English or not. Ali and Muaz are extremely talented teachers with the flexibility to accommodate their lesson plans with whatever level of speaking.
All I can say is how grateful I am to everyone I have gotten to share this with and how crucial their role was throughout this entire experience. I can only hope to continue to meet as amazing people as I did this summer <3

My time in Palestine has been incredible. I rode horses at sunrise, interviewed the director of Al-Haq, and established lifelong friendships. I came here with a desire to spotlight Palestinian voices, gain journalism experience, and improve my knowledge of Islam as a Muslim. I have been able to make significant progress toward all of these goals.

It has been hard to get homesick during my time here because so much here reminds me of home. I'm from Virginia in the United States, and Khalil is in every way a Southern town. Nablus reminded me so much of New York City, and the lovely town of Dura is like the Arab sister to my hometown.

It is also much safer here in the West Bank than news reports would have you believe. I have never felt myself to be at risk in any way. The most dangerous thing that happened to me here was accidentally sparking a space heater. I have been content, comfortable, and calm during my time here.

I am very grateful for all I have learned and for all the wonderful people I have interacted with during the short time I volunteered with the Palestinian Excellence Center (PEC). It has been a privilege to work with an organization that is well respected locally and well connected to the community.
Because of my interest in women’s rights and based on listening to the requests of the women we met via the PEC, I was able to create two small projects while in Hebron. The first was to teach professional skills at the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association. I ran a two-hour workshop on CV preparation and cover letter writing the Association's young volunteers.
My larger project is to help Palestinian women communicate their stories outside of Palestine. This project arose from hearing several women ask us as volunteers to share their stories. I am calling this project Amplifying Palestinian Women’s Voices. Through connections made for me by the PEC, I interviewed six inspiring women from the Old City, the Palestinian government, and the Al Fawwar Refugee Camp. I will translate and edit videos of the interviews into a short, cohesive documentary, allowing women to bring their stories to people across the world.
Fortunately, I have a lot of help with this project. Osama Hussein set-up the interviews and provided important conceptual guidance on the filming and production. Ghalya Abu Omar has been an excellent translator, both in this project and with the professional development course. She also learned to use a camera to record the interviews.
That leads me to reflect on one of my favorite parts of volunteering at the PEC, which is working with young local volunteers. I think the capacity building the center facilitates for young
Palestinians is a very important part of its work, and creating relationships between local and foreign volunteers helps foreign volunteers to better understand Palestinian culture.
I believe I made the most of my short amount of time here. Although I think all volunteers
would like to start working right away, the PEC’s method of scheduling the first week of a
volunteer’s stay with visits to local people and important sites creates perspective that informs further work.
I will miss Palestine very much. I have never interacted with people who are so welcoming, resilient, and kind, and I admire the Palestinian people deeply. I hope I will be able to return and to support people here from afar as well. I’d like to thank the PEC for this incredibly insightful opportunity

I spent a week taking cooking classes and Arabic lessons at the center. My teachers were patient and attentive, and all of the staff were incredibly warm and helpful, always checking in to see how I was doing. I feel like I'm coming away with a lot more Arabic knowledge than I expected in such a short time, and I'm very excited to attempt the delicious Palestinian dishes on my own back home! It was also wonderful to get to experience the city of Hebron, I stayed in an apartment about a 20 minute walk from the center and tried probably every falafel place along the way. Most people I encountered were very friendly and I always felt safe on my walks around the city!

I had an amazing two weeks at the center. I wish I had the time to stay longer, as it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. The people at the center were helpful and encouraging with me as I practiced my Arabic skills. My teacher, Saja, was always available to help and was very patient with my mistakes. She was the best teacher I've had. I learned more about Arabic culture, language and food in two weeks than I had expected to with her help. I got to see the old city of Hebron, and on the weekends had time to visit some of the nearby historical cities like Jericho and Bethlehem. The people in Palestine are some of the most welcoming and nice people I've ever met, and I never felt like I wasn't safe during my time here. Couldn't Recommend more.

I came to the Center not knowing exactly what to expect. I knew I would stay with a host family, that I would teach English, and that I would learn German, but I wasn't sure about much else. I also didn't know how much the experience would affect me.
I met volunteers and teachers from all over the world, and students with a broad range of experiences, ages, and backgrounds.
In four weeks, I learned more about history, people, and life than I had in more than 50 years prior.
The camaraderie among the volunteers and staff makes the Center a family rather than a group of individuals who work together. Each day starts with a shared breakfast, where conversations can be as simple as how well one slept or as deep as the meaning of culture or the role of language. We share ideas for teaching and learning around coffee or lunch. We play together, whether that means football in the park or D&D around a table.
I loved learning the language and having the opportunity to practice the lessons from my classroom in the real world, but my favorite classes were the field trips. We spent an afternoon in Leipzig at the DDR museum and several classes walking around the city of Halle, learning German vocabulary along with the history of the city.
This was an experience I will never forget, and I hope to be able to return.

I spent 4 weeks at the excellence center and can honestly say it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I came to the center expecting to improve my German and teach some English, instead I was given the chance to meet and learn from some amazing people with different cultures and backgrounds.
The immediate environment in the center is warm and welcoming and you are thrown straight into the experience from the start, having breakfast at the center every morning, weekly football matches and spending time in Halle with other volunteers. It is an amazing way to meet new people and friendships are quickly formed.
Those working in the center, Ali, Muaz, Dusan and of course Rafat show their dedication, not only to the volunteers but also the wider community in Halle. My weekly German lessons with Muaz, were not only helpful and educational but always enjoyable and I looked forward to them each week.
Halle is a beautiful city and is in a great location, making other German cities accessible to travel to during the weekends. It is full of culture and amazing food (being a vegetarian here, I have had no issue with options, the falafel is 10/10).
I have loved every minute of my time here and my only recommendation to other people potentially looking to join the center, is to simply go for it. You wont regret it. Whether you speak german or not, have experience with teaching or not (I did not), it doesn't matter and those in the center are always available to help.
Thank you so much to everyone at the center! You have all made my time here unforgettable. The experience i've had here has truly been unique and I can only hope to have similar experiences in the future.