The Excellence Center Reviews

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.

The excellence center provided great insight on the lives of Palestinians through guided tours around homes, villages, and holy sites. I was also provided with thorough and comprehensive arabic lessons each day for my first week here which really helped me navigate and communicate with my colleagues, host family, and locals. The enevrioment was super welcoming, warm, friendly and it felt like I was at home. I loved my host family so much. They felt like a second family. Hospitality was outstanding and I felt safe at all times.

I studied arabic in Hebron with the Excellence Center for 2 weeks. I took the intesive arabic class, where I had class three hours a day. It was a great experience to take intensive arabic classes while being immersed in the language. I am a beginner arabic learner, and my two weeks of class gave me confidence in speaking and inspired me to continue my arabic studies.

Everyone who worked at the center, the other students, and my host family were all incredibly welcoming and friendly and made me feel at home. I came her alone and it was easy to meet people. While staying in Hebron, I traveled with other students to Tel Aviv and Bethlehem on the weekend. I would definitely recommend this program for anyone interested in Palestine and the arabic language.

My name is Jason. I live in the United States, studied as an undergraduate in religion and my graduate degree is in rabbinics. These past four weeks I have been participating in the super-intensive Arabic program here in Al-Khalil.

From the time I applied for the program, I was welcomed warmly into the Excellence Center family. Planning my time here was easy and smooth, as were the directions for how to arrive at the Center in the Eyn Sara neighborhood of Hebron. When I arrived over three weeks ago, I was greeted effusively by fellow students; clearly the Center sets a culture of welcome and kindness for its student that is paradigmatic of the Palestinian culture of hospitality I have experienced in the past, but have experienced deeply and consistently these past few weeks.

My Arabic lessons were—as the program is called—super-intensive. My teacher, Duha, did a great job balancing between her lesson plans and the questions that my classmate and I had. Classes include grammar, speaking and listening, vocabulary, and writing exercises.

The environment of the Center is positive and kind, a home away from home for those of us from abroad studying there and, it seems, for local Palestinian students who take part in the Center’s programs as well. Most of my fellow students have been doing significant volunteer work, internships, or research, and it was clear that the administration of the Center has made wonderful connections to people in the larger community in Al Khalil and beyond.

Some of the wonderful experiences we had as a group were learning how to make stuffed grape leaves at the peak of the grape leaves season, being hosted by a large local family, who welcomed the entire foreign student body into their home for dinner, and seeing the old city and the Tomb of the Patriarchs/Ibrahimi Mosque with local high schoolers as our guides. While I was here, I also traveled to Bethlehem and to Ramallah. While I had been to Bethlehem a few times before, this was my first time in Ramallah, and it was interesting and powerful to tour and compare the museums in each city.

Some people ask about safety here in Hebron. Long before I arrived, I had a sense that I was being hosted by people who cared deeply about the safety of every student and volunteer, and wanted to make sure I was always making good choices to be as safe as possible. Walking around the city at various hours has been quite comfortable for me and part of the pleasure of living here has been the walk to and from our apartment, greeting and being greeted by various shopkeepers, children and youth in the neighborhood, and enjoying the sights and smells of street food—from pastries in the morning to corn at night. I suppose when I think about different places I have lived over the years, this feels like one of the safest.

During this past month, I have spent most of my time in the City of Hebron and other cities, but the last time I was here, I enjoyed some time on the Palestinian heritage trail, which I recommend highly. My time here now is has been in the season of spring turning to summer, and while you can feel the intensity of the sun during much of the day, I have enjoyed noticing the contrast between the warmth of the day and the cooler nights, often with their gentle winds.

The Palestinian hospitality I imagined before I arrived has been met and surpassed at every turn, from people taking an interest in me to cafes encouraging fellow students and I to park ourselves at a table, drink a frozen passion fruit drink or mint lemonade, and study (or relax) for hours.

I am already sad that my time here is coming to an end soon and I hope to return as a volunteer and, with the help of the Excellence Center, inshallah, find ways to help support and strengthen Palestinian society.

I stayed with the Excellence Centre for one month from mid-May to mid-June 2023 and I can honestly say it's been one of the best month's ever! The centre helped me facilitate my master's degree disseration research in Hebron, while at the same time, I also enrolled on an Arabic class and began teaching some English with local children at the centre. The staff are incredibly helpful and there is a really strong community vibe in the centre. I would strongly recommend the Excellence Centre!!!!!!!!

We visited the old town of AlKhalil with our best man who explained everything about the actual situation.

My arabic lessons were very nice and funny as well with my teacher. I learned to write and ready and many other things.

The Staff is very nice and friendly and they help you with everything you need.

Th Palestinian people are amazing and i found my second family here, most of the time I spent with the locals, so I know very well how they are, best people. It is safe and you dont have to worry about anything. The food is amazing.

Cant wait to come back, i reccomend it to everyone

Following my time at the Excellence Centre in Palestine (which was absolutely incredible), I wanted to continue learning Arabic and so I messaged Rafat and learned that I could take online lessons.

I have been taking remote Arabic lessons with Saja who is a really patient and approachable teacher. She really pushes me to do my best and I’ve learnt so much.

I’ve taken Arabic lessons remotely before and gave up after a few but with Saja, I’ve persevered as I really enjoy them and I’m learning so much. I recently travelled to an Arabic speaking country utilising my Arabic so I’m extremely happy that I continued learning.

Thank you Habibti ❤️💕

If you want to improve your Arabic skills with the help of superb teachers, whilst enjoying a very welcoming atmosphere and delicious food, the Excellence Center at Al Khalil/Hebron is your place to go to!
All the programs offer an interesting experience to learn Arabic and get to know Palestine and its people.
There is ample possibilities to come with personal suggestions, which allows to create your own experiences.
The adventure can sometimes be challenging, but you will be in a safe environment!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time interning at the Excellence Center in Europe. I really appreciate the kindness and openness from the other interns at the center. Teaching English was a new experience for me but one I genuinely grew from. I was able to be flexible in planning lessons and in understanding the individual level and learning styles of every student I engaged with. Additionally, learning German was also very fun. I learned in a very different way than what I am used to but it was efficient and I was able to learn a great deal in a short period of time.
My favorite part of the internship was getting to stay and get to know my host family in the afternoons and on weekends. They were absolutely amazing. I had the unique opportunity of getting to spend quality time with them such as being a guest speaker for one of the girls’ English classes, getting invited to a family dinner, and learning more about the country. Although the host home was far, it was a beautiful and peaceful city to be in.
As a part of the internship, the ability to meet and speak with refugees in Germany was also very important to me. It was a great experience overall that I am thankful for. I appreciate getting to learn about migration patterns and the reintegration process. Adding on, getting to visit and chat with refugees from Syria in Halle was also interesting.
Looking into the future of the internship program, I do however have a few suggestions. For one, I think the internship program needs a bit more structure. For example, all interns should use a running Google document where they are writing down the activities and lesson plans of every student. As interns complete the internship, they can then share this document with whoever takes over. This would allow for students to stay on track and for interns to not be confused once they start the internship program.

My name is Aram and I'm an American volunteer doing the Internship program while studying German.
The most memorable part of the Center was the chance to meet people and make friends from around the world, even people who aren't directly connected to the Center, such as the myriad of university students. I especially loved the chance to interview refugees, and hear their extremely varied experiences. The staff are very friendly and supportive, and relate to you as friends. My German teacher Muaz is excellent. He knows exactly how to challenge you and get you out of your comfort zone, while keeping lessons relaxed and engaging. In general, the quality of teaching I have seen here is quite high.
Note that it is sometimes difficult to obtain housing near the center. Many of the volunteers end up having host families as much as 50 minutes away from the Center. This can make it difficult for many to participate in social events, and can be frustrating for these volunteers.
Many may lament the lack of structure or active assistance in teaching. Personally, I find the ability to design our own curriculums freeing and exciting. One thing that would have been nice, however, is to have advance knowledge of what age our students are and what their basic level in the language is. This would help with planning our first lessons. I found this got better as more volunteers arrived and we had the chance to shadow many of our new students' classes before taking them on.
More generally, there is a certain lack of structure at the Center. Again, personally, I don't mind this, although more advance notice with regard to activities would be nice, given our largely self designed schedules.
I urge any considering coming, to make the most of your time here. Whether here for a few weeks, or two months as I was, the time will fly by. I profusely thank the Center for all the experiences and opportunities I have had, and I hope to be back.