The Excellence Center Reviews

I loved my time at the Excellence Center. Everyone was so kind and hardworking to make the programs great for students, and it's a warm and welcoming environment. I loved meeting the local students I taught English to and participating in programs planned by the Center, like trips and informational tours. On weekends, students visited Bethlehem, Ein Gedi, the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Nablus, Haifa, and other places in the country. The staff at the Excellence Center work above and beyond to make the international students feel comfortable and plan our schedules. On the first day I arrived, we got a tour of the old city and met local shopkeepers, who I was able to build real friendships with. The students at the Center immediately bond, and everyone has such an open and kind attitude. My semi-intensive Arabic courses were so good, and I very rapidly advanced my speaking, reading, and writing skills. The people of Hebron are incredibly hospitable, interesting, and friendly, and the city has such deep beauty even with the political oppression and difficulties it faces.

My 3 weeks at the Excellence Centre in Europe have been wonderful: it has allowed me to greatly improve my German, to widen my knowledge of refugee issues, and to meet great people from around the world.

The centre provided 3-4 1.5 hour German lessons for me and a small group of other students per week, which were consistently engaging, entertaining and educational. Despite coming from differing knowledge backgrounds and levels, we could all grow and bounce off each other, encouraged to stretch ourselves to new areas but without the pressure that comes from large classes. Furthermore, most lessons revolved around speaking practice which, although scary, was what I needed most - during my time here I have become far more comfortable and confident with using conversational German, furthered more through other volunteers sometimes joking and chatting in German in an inclusive way, meaning it was a true immersion into German and Germany which is exactly what I wanted.

My other main activity at the centre was teaching English; this is not an activity I had experience in. Despite initially feeling quite unsure as I was thrown into lessons without any guidance from the centre really, I quickly learnt how to lead a lesson, and as most are 1:1 tutoring, it is easy to tailor it to a student's needs. Teaching English definitely helped me to develop as a person, and it is something I intend to undertake again in future breaks from school, which is certainly galvanized by the eagerness and kindness of every single pupil I taught.

The atmosphere at the centre itself was by far the best part of my time here - being surrounded by the most friendly and outgoing people, from a range of backgrounds and experiences, undoubtedly made it the extremely fulfilling experience it has been. From the moment I arrived, everyone was inclusive, inviting me to social events outside of the centre and to explore Halle with them. Although the fact that schedules are mainly self-designed can lead to everyone coming and going during the day, the opportunity to all gather at breakfast every day (which was very delicious, and entirely vegetarian which was great for me!!) and joke and chat, really meant I began the day feeling uplifted. Despite a lack of events organised outside of teaching initially, in the second half of my stay this definitely picked up, and the hike we went on was a great opportunity to see more of Germany.

Halle itself is not necessarily the most thrilling city in Germany, but it provided everything I needed from it and I took the opportunity of having weekends off to see more of Germany, which Halle is well placed to facilitate. Halle does have some beautiful green spaces (some of which I annoyingly only discovered in my last couple days!), with the Peißnitz park being close enough to the centre that after work I often went with my friends to sit and chat, or even once to row down the river - incredibly entertaining. However, minus the art museum, there is not much to fill weekends with, so instead I visited Leipzig and Dresden for day trips and Berlin for a weekend with other volunteers from the centre - only an hour away!! The only issue I particularly had with Halle was that I was staying in Neustadt which was a 20 minute tram ride away - the tram system is very good and links the whole city but it did make it difficult to be flexible about meeting up with friends and there is an extra cost for transport which others staying in altstadt didn't experience. Yet, as I had another volunteer as a roommate, I was not alone in this, and I became very close with her which was lovely. The host family I was with were also very nice, and although mainly keeping themselves to themselves, they provided an extremely joyous atmosphere to arrive home to and it was a perfectly satisfactory base to stay in during my time in Halle.

Overall, my time at the Excellence Centre is an experience I will cherish - my only regret is not staying for longer. I greatly hope to stay in contact with the friends I have met here, and continue my learning of German to hopefully return to live here soon!

I began my time at the Excellence Center with a month of intensive Arabic classes, then began visiting local businesses and organizations and teaching English at the Center and in the villages surrounding Hebron. I had an outstanding Arabic teacher for my classes, and found that class time was spent productively. Because of this, as well as my engagement with the Khalili community, I made significant progress in learning the language.

The environment at the Center is warm and welcoming. Although in summer it became a bit hectic with the amount of international volunteers in attendance, the staff and teachers never failed in making me feel comfortable. The same goes for my host family. They made sure I was always provided for and never hungry. Although I lived a bit far from the Center, the family graciously provided daily transportation.

In my free time, I was also able to visit many places outside of Hebron, such as Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jericho, and Nablus. My experiences in all these places were great, transportation to and from was fairly simple and well-priced, and I always felt safe… but to be honest, I was always happy to return to Hebron.

The best part of Palestine is the hospitality and genuine kindness of the people. Despite the obvious and less-than-ideal circumstances of the occupation, I have yet to meet a Palestinian who isn’t welcoming, honest, strong-willed and incredibly good-hearted. This is certainly the impression of Palestine I will take with me back home. I would definitely recommend spending time in Palestine, especially in al-Khalil, if you have the chance!

I stayed at the center for 1 month through their journalism and media program. The center gave me all the basic connections to be able to hit the ground running and spend my short time in palestine following my passion and exploring the realities of the occupation. If you want to discover the truth in palestine, this program will provide you with a variety of resources to get to work! Although the struggles of Palestinians in Al-Khalil and the west bank are a realilty witnessed daily, never did I feel unsafe in my surroundings. If you come here for a with good intentions and with respect, that will be what you will recieve. Palestinians have been the nicest and most hospitable people I have had the good fortune to meet and I'm thankful for the experiences we've shared.

My name is Sarah Anderson. I am currently finishing my bachelors degree in International and Global Studies at the Univeristy of Central Florida. This summer I decided to do a human rights internship in Hebron, Palestine with the Excellence Center. It has been an immersive and expansive experience. We did activities such as visiting the old city & important religious sites such as the Ibrahimi Mosque, visiting the refugee camps, & speaking with local educators, business owners and artists in the city of Hebron.
My Arabic lessons were very helpful and my teacher was very patient. I learned a lot in the time that I was here. During my trip I decided to stay with a Palestinian host family. They were so sweet and kind. They showed me around the city and local cafes. We also took a trip to Bethlehem. I felt right at home with my host family.
Before coming to Palestine I was very concerned about my safety, however after living here for a month those preconceived notions no longer exist. I felt extremely safe walking throughout Hebron during day and at night.
It’s one thing to the read and hear about Palestine but another to actually experience it.
From the history, to the people, to the land, weather and the food… I loved it all.
Palestine is truly a beautiful country filled with an immense amount of life, beauty, strength, and courage.
This experience will live in my heart forever and I intend to return to Palestine.
I highly recommend anyone who desires to experience & learn more about Palestine to join the Excellence Center.

I recently had the privilege of embarking on a one-month internship at the Excellence Centre in Palestine, and I cannot emphasize enough how profoundly positive and enriching this experience was for me. From the moment I arrived, I was embraced by a warm and supportive community, and every aspect of my internship surpassed my expectations.
First and foremost, my time at the Excellence Centre helped me get my Palestinian Colloquial Arabic to a much higher. The highly qualified instructors at the centre and especially professor Rasha demonstrated an exceptional commitment to teaching, making every class engaging, interactive, and tailored to my individual learning needs. Her expertise, combined with their genuine passion for sharing the Arabic language motivated and inspired me to push my language skills to new heights.
Secondly, as part of the program, I was honoured to join the centre and other participants on excursions to several human rights groups and refugee camps where we learned much about the difficulties Palestinians face.
The Excellence Centre's dedication to creating a nurturing and inclusive environment was evident in every interaction. The staff members were not only highly knowledgeable and skilled professionals but also caring and compassionate individuals. They went above and beyond to ensure that my stay was comfortable, offering guidance, support, and a genuine sense of friendship that made me feel like part of their extended family.
In summary, my one-month internship at the Excellence Centre in Palestine was an extraordinary experience that exceeded all expectations. It provided me with a comprehensive linguistic education, invaluable teaching opportunities, and eye-opening encounters with human rights groups. The supportive and caring atmosphere, along with the warmth and hospitality of the staff, made me feel like part of a close-knit community. I leave with a transformed perspective, cherished memories, and lifelong connections. Without a doubt, I wholeheartedly recommend the Excellence Centre to anyone seeking an unforgettable and impactful internship experience and will definitely coming back as soon as possible.

My time at the Excellence Center was an all around good experience. The atmosphere created by the other interns and volunteers as well as the staff is friendly and welcoming, which made the transition to a new country smooth. Ali specifically played a key role in this transition and integration as he gave me a tour of the city once I arrived, introduced me and the other interns to local students, and helped me find my way to the center and my accommodation. Additionally, he was my Arabic teacher and helped me progress immensely from completely no background. The lessons were well paced and bounced off of me well, making it feel personalized and motivating rather than overwhelming (which Arabic can easily feel like). I was given some materials to support the lessons which will be advantageous to keep in the future. Though we reached the advertised 30 hours (for a 2 month internship), I do wish the lessons had started earlier on in my time here and been more frequent and shorter per session. Overall my favorite part of this internship was learning Arabic which was mostly because of Ali!

My accommodation was also a warm and welcoming atmosphere where the host family wanted me to feel comfortable and at home. However, there is great variety in the type of accommodation interns/volunteers receive and little support for navigating the transportation system, especially when you’ve newly arrived. Some interns are quite far while others are close and don’t need to account for transportation costs, which is covered by the intern. Rafat did a good job of being available to address accommodation concerns if issues did arise; however, there was no information given to me ahead of time about where/with whom I would be staying or what I could expect to receive from them (ie, meals, whether I would have an in room roommate, etc).

The experience at the Excellence center as an intern is very relaxed and gives the opportunity for self initiated exploration, such as of the state of migration/integration in Halle and the actual city of Halle. Because of the flexibility afforded in the set up of the internship program, I found that there was less structure and organization than I anticipated or would have preferred. I enjoyed being able to teach the same students English for the entirety of my internship but I found that this combined with my Arabic lessons didn’t take up as much time as I expected. The case study and presentation on refugee affairs aspects of the program were a lot more limited than I expected and my main wish is that this part of the internship was more intentional and expansive. I was able to learn a lot about the integration experience from speaking with the (predominantly) Syrian migrant population at the center as well as the Refugee tour, however. Everyone was so open and lovely - I learned just by being around the interns and students of Halle, as well as having the time and flexibility to travel and explore Germany/nearby cities.

What an amazing experience! From the moment I walked through the door at The Excellence Center, I felt welcome! The atmosphere is friendly, helpful and super comfortable. Rafat and his staff do everything they can to ensure one has a good experience. Everyone is so laid-back and easy to talk to, which, in my opinion, promotes the overall feeling of warmth and kindness one feels there. I will always remember this experience with fondness and am so happy I chose to volunteer. I also had so many chances to practice my German and gained much through my own language lessons.

My name is Bianca. Im 22 years old and from Switzerland and Italy. I did 4 weeks of intensive
arabic at the excellence center. I dont have a university degree yet but am interested in socialwork
and languages.
As I volunteered with refugees in greece I realized again how useful and beautiful arabic is. I did
one semester of middle-east studies in Switzerland and then decided that I wanted to learn a dialect
not only fussha. Also I realized that it is nicer and easier to learn a language going to the country
than only in a classroom. Its my first time in the middle-east and I learned a lot about the culture,
struggles, occupation and the language!
The arabic lessons were very nice. We were only two students at the beginning and then three and
everybody was very motivated to study and learn ammia. Our teacher Haya was very kind and the
lessons were well-prepared and interesting. We did grammar, vocabulary and conversation and it
was very important for Haya that we understand everything and study to get better. Even though I
learned a lot I also realized how much time it takes to learn this language and I am very motivated
to go on or take other classes.
I thank Haya a lot for the energy and encouragement she brought to the classes and whish her all the
best for her future.
The classes were from sunday to thursday from 9 to 12.30h and there was always a nice breakfast at
the center with all the participants/volunteers. The teachers and organisators were all very kind and
open and the athmosphere was very welcoming at the center.
What I also liked a lot was the fact that I lived with a palestinian family. They were super nice and
invited us for Maklube or to the daughters wedding. These experiences were very enriching and I
had very nice conversations with host siblings. Through this I could understand better the society
they live in and also the struggles they face. Palestinian people in general and especially here in
Hebron are very warm and interested as well as incredibly generous. Especially coming from
Switzerland, which is a rich country, I experienced how much more generous and interested people
here are. Once we went to the old market and some boys offered us drinks and others bananas or
falafel sandwiches.
Hebron is full of contradictions. It is beautiful, especially the old city, but as it is separated in an
israeli and a palestinian side it is also very tense and weired to be in the old city and pass
checkpoints and israeli soldiers. Moreover it is a conservative city and there is not a lot of places to
go out or parks to hang out. Still we found some nice cafés where to study and get a limununana
(iced lemon and mint).
In the weekend I once went to Ramallah which is about 2 hours from Hebron. It is quite different to
Hebron because its less conservative (you can drink a beer there for example). I relly recomment
the Yasser Arafat museum! I also went to Bethlehem which I liked a lot because of its narrow
streets.
My favourite activity, after the arabic classes, was when we went to H2 with Mahmoud who told us
a bit about the history and situation there. Afterwards we went to visit Nisreen a palestinian artist
who lives directly next to a settlement. I learned a lot about the oppression and discrimination of
this occupation.
I am also very happy to have met Rahel my roommate from Germany because she inspired me to
leran arabic and she presented me some palestinian people who I like a lot. For example Jalal, a
musician, with whom I took some oud lessons and who sold me an oud that I will take home and
which will remember me of Al Khalil!
Before coming I didnt know a lot about the situation in Hebron. I thought it could be dangerous or
very tense I didnt feel unsafe at any moment. People are very respectful here, they maybe look at

you, as there is not many tourists, or shout «welcome» but thats all:) Also the occupation doesnt
affect life so much as a stranger especially staying in H1. Only when travelling to other places or
when going to H2 you can see and feel it directly...
Finally, I am very thankful for this experience, for the wonderful and inspiring people I met and the
stories they shared. I hope to come back one day and be able to speak more arabic. Also I hope the
best for all palestinian people.

I took one week of super intensive Arabic class at the Excellence Center. I recieved 1-on-1 teaching from Duha, who is an amazing teacher and extremely knowledgeable in Arabic. She created a curriculum specific to my Arabic skill level and needs and executed it well. One week is not much when studying an entire language, but I do think I learned as much as was humanly possible given the time constraint. I understand all of the conjugations and grammar rules (although applying them in everyday conversation is extremely difficult and will obviously take a lot more time). Overall 5/5 for learning Arabic. The program I chose was expensive and well worth every penny - there is no better way to learn than 1 on 1 teaching from an experienced professional teacher.