The Excellence Center Reviews

My name is Josie, and I am a twenty-year-old undergraduate student from Germany. I study Middle Eastern Studies and Economics. Because of that I took the opportunity to come to Palestine during my summer holidays. I participated in the Human Rights Program for two months. In the course of the program, I learned about human rights in Palestine through a presentation and visits to different institutions in Hebron. Furthermore, I received Arabic lessons and taught some English.

The center organized a lot of visits to different institutions and places. I had the chance to talk to government employees, doctors, teachers, journalists, activists and other interesting people. It was great to get an overview over the human rights situation in Palestine and the obstacles that Palestinians face on a daily basis. However, time restrictions and the language barrier sometimes made it hard to talk about topics in depth. Still, I learned a lot about the occupation and the situation in Palestine.
My favorite visit was to the Bedouin villages of Masafer Yatta. We visited several of them and talked to the families about their living conditions and how the occupation affects them. Some other institutions I visited were the Chamber of Commerce, the Hebron Municipality and the office of UNRWA at the Fawwar refugee camp.

Living with a host family was a great experience. Me and another volunteer stayed in a little flat inside the family´s house. We shared a bedroom, a bathroom and a small living room. That way we had privacy while also being close to the family. The only inconvenience to that living arrangement was that we didn´t have a kitchen in our flat. We only had a water cooker and a small fridge. So, the nights when we didn´t have dinner with the host family, we weren´t able to cook ourselves.
Most members of the host family didn´t speak any English. It was great to practice speaking Arabic but sometimes caused misunderstanding and made it hard to communicate important things. Luckily, the staff at the center was very helpful when it came to translating or clearing up any issues.
The host family was incredibly kind, and I loved spending time with them. All the members welcomed me warmly and made me feel like a part of the family. They made a big effort to talk to me despite the language barrier. Through a combination of my broken Arabic, their little English, Google Translate and a lot of gestures, we managed very well. I am incredibly glad to have gotten the opportunity to get to know them and to stay with them. Their hospitality was amazing. When my mother visited for a week, they even let her stay in their house as well. The two months I spent with them gave me an invaluable insight into Palestinian day-to-day life and they taught me a lot. I will definitely come back to visit them.

I received two ninety-minute lessons of Arabic per week. The first three weeks me and another volunteer had our lessons together, but after she left, I received single lessons. Even though I had taken one year of Modern Standard Arabic in university before, it was challenging to learn the Palestinian dialect. The grammar is easier but different and some letters are pronounced differently. The focus of the lessons was on speaking which was very useful and helped me with communicating with people here. I really enjoyed the lessons and the challenge of studying Ammiya.

The employees at the center were great. They were very kind and took the time to help with problems and answer questions about Palestinian culture. Having so many students at the center was nice because they were very eager to practice their English and willing to help us with Arabic in return.

I had never taught English before, so I was a little thrown to be put in front of a class without any preparation and the first time even without forewarning or the time to prepare something. Especially knowing that the students paid for the classes when I was clearly not qualified to teach them, made me uncomfortable. It was a learning curve for both the students and me. I have to say that I will probably not teach English again in the future, but it was a challenge and it was good to try it out.

I used seven of my eight weekends to travel to other cities. The services (small 7 seat buses that drive without a set route or schedule) that operate inside the Westbank made it possible to travel safely and for a very affordable price. I used them to go to Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jericho, Nablus, and Ramallah. The bus and train system in Israel made it possible to visit cities there as well, so I went to Akko, Haifa, Tel Aviv and Eilat.

Before coming here, I had some concerns about safety in the Westbank. However, during my stay I felt very safe. The people here, especially in Hebron, are very curious about foreigners, so they sometimes stared but not in a bad way. Because of their curiosity people here are very eager to talk to foreigners (and also to sell stuff to them). Whenever I asked for directions, they were very helpful and kind. Even walking alone at night, I felt safe. There were two instances when men followed me and my friends and made us uncomfortable but that could have happened just as well in any European city.
The military presence of the Israelis was very noticeable with all the checkpoints, but they never caused any problems for me or any other foreigners. Even when there were clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli military, they were restricted to small areas, and I only ever heard about it in the news.

Overall, I had a great time in Hebron. Not only did I learn a lot about Palestinian culture and the occupation, but I also learned a lot about hospitality, kindness and resilience. It was an incredible experience and I´m very glad that I came here. I will cherish the memories of my stay here and the people I met.

My name is Esther Pérez, I am twenty-five years old and I am from Spain. I have studied the Degree in Journalism at the University of Valencia, and later I have done the Master’s Degree in Culture of Peace, Conflicts and Human Rights at the University of Granada. Currently, I have been collaborating for a year as a volunteer in Red Cross organization, as an external communication reference. I have done the Journalism program at the Excellence Center.

I arrived at the Excellence Center in Palestine a month ago, on September 15, 2022. I am a journalist for human rights, and in recent years I have been studying in depth the historical and current situation of Palestine, so I wanted to come to see first-hand this situation of colonization. I discovered the excellence center by chance, looking for different centers with which to collaborate on the internet. This center caught my attention because of the different programs they have, as well as the opportunity to learn Arabic, because that could help me to explore new stories around the world.

During this month I have visited many sites and had the opportunity to meet workers and human rights activists in Hebron, as well as local Palestinians, in the context of occupation. I attended the Grape Festival, made visits to the ancient city of Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque, went to a Bedouin Camp, visited the Hebron Chamber of Industry and Commerce, a tourism agency, the Hebron pension center, different agencies and media, such as the WAFA communication agency and a radio station. I have also visited human rights organizations, such as Human Rights Defenders. In terms of education, I have visited schools: such as a school of art and culture, the Al-Hussein school, and a school of autism and for blind students. All these visits have given me extensive knowledge about the current situation of Palestinians in Hebron, from different perspectives: communication, education, health, politics or the economy. It is a great opportunity to be able to know first-hand how the context of occupation affects the Palestinian people living here in Hebron, due to the numerous checkpoints, Israeli military control and settlers.

On the other hand, about the Arabic classes, I have received during this month three hours each week. During this time, I have learned to have a basic conversation as well as introduce myself. Basic knowledge that we need in our day to day: numbers, days of the week, months of the year, adjectives, pronouns, determinants, some verbs and basic words. Now I am able to introduce myself: what my name is, how old I am, where I live and with whom, what I did yesterday or what I will do tomorrow, or what I study. All this knowledge in Arabic language I have been able to put into practice in my day to day, on the one hand, with the staff and other volunteers of the center, and on the other hand, with my host family.

Throughout my stay I have felt very safe in Palestine. I arrived with fear and something insecure, because the great number of news that comes through the media in Spain are quite negative, and only talk about violence and conflict. Also quite unsure by the questions on my arrival at Ben Guiron airport. But when I got here, everything went well. And little by little I got to know the lot of positive and life things that the city of Hebron has, as well as the hospitality and kindness of all people. Shops, restaurants, cafes, shopping centers, shops, the beauty of the old city... the city of Hebron, despite its complicated circumstances due to the occupation, is full of life and joy.All the staff of the center and the rest of the volunteers have always been very kind to me, and have made me feel very well when I have expressed myself in English. All the staff of the center is always ready to help you, and welcomes you every morning with a big smile. As for the rest of the volunteers, I return to Spain with great friendships. I have been able to learn a lot from them and their perspectives. And we've had great times together. It is very nice to learn from people from different parts of the world. In addition we have made several trips together, we have practically been able to know all of Palestine: Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jericho, Ramallah and Nablus. I think these have been the best times I've ever had here
in Palestine.

In this paragraph I would like to talk about my host family, since the first day I have felt at home.And I have had the opportunity to try a lot of Palestinian dishes, I love Palestinian gastronomy! Both the parents and the children have made me feel like one more in the family. In addition, I have shared a room with Rachel another volunteer of the center, and I have been able to enjoy a lot with her.

Definitely, I recommend everyone to come to the center to do the communication and journalism program. Palestine needs ethical journalism, and it is a great opportunity to learn about the occupation situation firsthand, and then to be able to communicate and give a voice to the Palestinians globally.

Some people, particularly Westerners like myself, may be quick to think of the Excellence Center as a little disorganized. But with time and observation, you realize that’s because the Excellence Center is not a profit minded, efficiency machine like the businesses we are used to seeing in the West. At the Excellence Center, it’s not about money. It’s not about doing everything as quickly or as cheaply as possible. The Excellence Center is a community center before anything else. And in this community center we connect through sharing our stories, culture, and languages with one another in a truly unique, personal experience.
Things are quite personal, and intimate. Every morning starts with breakfast for the whole team, so no matter how busy you think you are, you can sit down with your new family and connect, talk, make plans, and start the day off right. Some people may consider the daily routine at the EC to be without much structure, but that’s because there is a considerable amount of freedom with every day here. You can make your own schedule, you can prioritize what you find most important, you have room to grow, try new things, and forge new friendships. And the friendships are what stuck with me the most. From the first day, I was greeted warmly into what I thought was a little chaotic, but I realized later was actually the energy of dynamic, genuine people. You will be dumbfounded by how quickly you become attached not only to the staff, but the other volunteers, your students, and even the city itself. I’m leaving Germany with new friends from all around the world, and I have every intention to see them through the next years of life, because we are forever connected through a really unique experience.
The people at the Excellence Center, the community, is what makes everything worth it. Everybody has a place in the Excellence Center, no matter who you are, where you are from, or what you do. It’s a place for positivity, new experiences, intercultural connections, and love. If you’re looking for a new scene, new friends, experiences that make you see the world a little differently, if you want to make a change in the lives of others, if you want to do something good for the world, even on a small scale, then the Excellence Center is for you- because the Excellence Center is for everybody.

I originally signed up for a one-week program in Palestine but extended it to two because of how much I was enjoying the experience. I was initially a bit apprehensive about safety but not only did the Centre always ensure that we were suppported, but the situation in general was much safer than I was expecting. The program includes multiple trips to the Old City, Bedouin and refugee camps, visits to local organizations, and cultural sites. Overall, I would definitelty recommend this program. The staff were always incrediby friendly and eager to learn about where all of the volunteers came from.

I cannot speak more highly about my time in Halle studying Arabic. I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived, studying Arabic in German seemed strange, but my ten days here were everything I could have asked for and more. I did an intensive period with Muaz, focusing on amaaya dialect, studying for approximately four hours each day with my teacher and then extra hours outside of that. The mixture between lessons in the classroom and real Arabic immersion, speaking to a range of different Arabs with different dialects around the city about day to day things, was awesome. Muaz is an amazing teacher, he has a natural ability to develop the student and give them the experiences that they ask for. I was very impressed. All in all, this course was fantastic value for money and I would recommend spending time in Halle with Muaz and the Excellence Center to anyone. I have improved more in ten days here than I would have done in six months at home. I am extremely grateful for this experience.

The volunteer programme at the Excellence Centre was a great way to get to know the city of Hebron and also a good base from which to explore other cities in Palestine. The staff were helpful and friendly and there was a very good sense of cameraderie between them and the international volunteers on the various programmes.
We were taken on outings to various parts of the city and the surrounding countryside which gave us a very good insight into the situation in Hebron under occupation. I found Hebron itself to be a friendly and safe city.

My time at the Excellence Center was short but sweet. At first I was very nervous about teaching English and learning German but as the days went by and I got to know people at the Center, I felt more comfortable and confident.
It was fun and rewarding teaching my students English and helping them understand certain topics. They were of different ages and backgrounds so I wanted to tailor my classes in a way that would relate to them individually. It was nice getting to know them and I'm glad that they kept coming back!
My German classes were also great! I felt way more confident with German by the time I left. As others have said, Muaz is an excellent teacher (vielen dank Muaz!)
Overall I had a very memorable experience. Halle has many beautiful buildings and cool people, and I would recommend this city to anyone that wants to visit somewhere more laid back in Germany. Big thanks to Rafat, Elisa, Danny, Radwan, Muaz, Ali, Steve and my students for the experience!

I studied Arabic for three months in the Excellence Center. I visited several cities in the West Bank and in the Occupied Lands including an visit to Deir Mar Saba, a place I am sure I would not have visited if the Excellence Center had not organized it.

My Arabic lessons were great. I have learned a lot of Arabic in my three months here. My teachers were native Palestinians speakers with university degrees and experienced in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers.

Hebron is very safe and the people are very nice.

My name is Michael, I am 49 years old and come from Germany.

Here is a feedback about my stay in Palestine in September 2022.

Activities at excellence center
intensive Arabic immersion Program for one month

Arabic lessons
4 lessons a day, 5 times a week
very well organised
Well structured
Highly professional teacher, top notch!

Centers environment
Very experienced in what they are offering
Very Friendly stuff
Competent teachers
Very nice students / volunteers

Site visits
Ibrahims oak
Tour with Palestine students to Ibrahim mosque, plastic factory and old city
Attend an official meeting about some issues of Hebron in regard of energy, water supply
Wonderful Tour with my teacher through the old city and shopping - good chance to practice the Arabic

Visited places in Palestine
Bethlehem
Nablus
Jerusalem

Safety and security in Palestine
When you go to visit Israel and Palestine it is clear, that will enter a different world than you are used to in Europe/America.
However, I always felt very comfortable and safe during my stay.

Liked most in Palestine
very very very friendly people!
Always got help when I needed it
Hospitality is not just a word - it is part of the Palestinian DNA

Overall experience
I can fully recommend the excellence Center for other students / volunteers and would be very happy if I might come back in 2023.

Thank you for the wonderful four weeks.

As a complete beginner when I started the course, I now have a basic understanding of the language and a foundation for further learning. My teacher was excellent and I felt very comfortable learning with him. He made learning fun and we laughed a lot during class. I appreciated that I was with only one other student rather than a large class as this made learning faster and tailored to our needs and expectations. For me personally, I could of studied more than 3 hours per day, but after speaking with the other students 3 hours per day was enough for them.
I loved staying with a host family and I formed a close bond with them in one week.
I would of liked if the center offered meetings with NGOs and activists... in the week I was here there wasn't the opportunity for this.