The Excellence Center Reviews

I was a complete beginner when I started this course and now after finishing one week I feel I have a basic understanding and a foundation for further learning. My teacher was excellent and made me feel very comfortable. He also made learning fun and we laughed a lot. I also really appreciated learning with just one other student rather than a large group.
I enjoyed the breakfast provided by the center each day.
I would of liked more structure with activities for after class. For example, I would of liked to engage more with local NGOs and activists.

Hi, my name is Zoe and I am a 19-year-old politics and economics student from the UK.
While at the Excellence Center, I participated in the women's rights programme so I spent most of my time visiting different organisations and talking to women about their experiences living and working in Palestine. It was incredibly inspiring to see their determination and creativity, even in the face of such severe challenges. I especially enjoyed meeting some of the female journalists, both at the WAFA agency and at the Al Huriya radio station. At the core of the Palestinian struggle is a fight against supression of the Palestinian perspective
and narratives propagated by the media. It was shocking to
hear directly from these women about the ways in which the news agencies had been
targeted by Israeli forces; through forced eviction from the building, nighttime raids and
destruction of equipment as well as opposition in the field. While hearing about these
challenges, I was especially struck by their relentlessness and courage which really
highlighted the importance of the work they were doing.
The Arabic lessons at the center were very well structured, focussing on both reading and
speaking. Marwa was an amazing teacher and being able to apply everything we learnt
immediately talking to my host family and other people we met around Hebron made the
language much easier to remember. Apparently, I’ve even picked up a slight Hebron accent!
Staying with a host family was such a privilege as it allowed me to have an insider
perspective on the culture and feel properly integrated into the community. I was even
invited to join my family at a wedding which was an incredible experience!
The environment at the center is warm and friendly so I felt at home after no time at all. The other volunteers and staff get along very well and I have made many friends I know I will stay in contact with. One piece of advice is to try and be really open to trying new things and using all the Arabic you learn without worrying about making mistakes.
I felt safe most of the time in Hebron. There were a couple of times when we came back late
from visiting other cities where it had gotten dark, but the other
volunteers I was with were very good at making sure everyone got home safely. As with
everywhere, it is important to take precautions, but I felt safe enough to travel by myself and
found people friendly and eager to help.
While here, I also got the chance to visit some other cities in Palestine; Jerusalem,
Bethlehem and Nablus. It was really interesting to see the differences between the cities and
experience a broader range of Palestinian culture. I would especially recommend Nablus-
the Kanafeh there is world renowned!
After spending 2 weeks here, I would definitely love to come back! I have really enjoyed
getting to know Hebron and the people here and would like to spend more time travelling
throughout Palestine and further developing my understanding of the situation here. I have
been incredibly struck by the warmth of the people here and the beauty of the landscape and
culture so would definitely recommend visiting!

Hi, my name is Zoe and I am a 19-year-old politics and economics student from the UK.

While at the Excellence Center, I participated in the women's rights programme so I spent most of my time visiting different organisations and talking to women about their experiences living and working in Palestine. It was incredibly inspiring to see their determination and creativity, even in the face of such severe challenges. I especially enjoyed meeting some of the female journalists, both at the WAFA agency and at the Al Huriya radio station. At the core of the Palestinian struggle is a fight against supression of the Palestinian perspective and false narratives propagated by the Israeli and international media. It was shocking to hear directly from these women about the ways in which the news agencies had been targeted by Israeli forces; through forced eviction from the building, nighttime raids and destruction of equipment as well as opposition in the field. While hearing about these challenges, I was especially struck by their relentlessness and courage which really highlighted the importance of the work they were doing.

The Arabic lessons at the center were very well structured, focussing on both reading and speaking. Marwa was an amazing teacher and being able to apply everything we learnt immediately talking to my host family and other people we met around Hebron made the language much easier to remember. Apparently, I’ve even picked up a slight Hebron accent! Staying with a host family was such a privilege as it allowed me to have an insider perspective on the culture and feel properly integrated into the community. I was even invited to join my family at a wedding which was an incredible experience!

The environment at the center is warm and friendly so I felt at home after no time at all. The other volunteers and staff get along very well and I have made many friends I know I will stay in contact with. One piece of advice is to try and be really open to trying new things and using all the Arabic you learn without worrying about making mistakes.

I felt safe most of the time in Hebron. There were a couple of times when we came back late from visiting other cities where it had gotten dark and I had to get a taxi home, but the other volunteers I was with were very good at making sure everyone got home safely. As with everywhere, it is important to take precautions, but I felt safe enough to travel by myself and found people friendly and eager to help.

While here, I also got the chance to visit some other cities in Palestine; Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nablus. It was really interesting to see the differences between the cities and experience a broader range of Palestinian culture. I would especially recommend Nablus- the Kanafeh there is world renowned!

After spending 2 weeks here, I would definitely love to come back! I have really enjoyed getting to know Hebron and the people here and would like to spend more time travelling throughout Palestine and further developing my understanding of the situation here. I have been incredibly struck by the warmth of the people here and the beauty of the landscape and culture so would definitely recommend visiting!

I studied at the Excellence Center in Hebron for two weeks. The staff at the center was really nice and communication was quick and effective. My one-on-one classes were really good, the teacher quickly understood what level I was at and tailored the classes to my specific level. Each day in class was different with different activities for learning which was good so that classes didn't become boring. The center also organized activities that I participated in, such as a tour to the Old City of Hebron with a really good guide, and we also had a evening with a talk about Palestine which was followed by a delicious meal and topped off with the great Palestinian dessert knafeh.

People in Hebron in general were really friendly and welcoming. Once I walked past a falafel shop and a worker there gave me a several falafels and a piece of bread just out of kindness. In the afternoons I would sometimes play football with the kids living in our neighbourhood which was good fun and a fun way to be exposed to a kind of Arabic that you won't hear in school.

Perhaps the best thing about staying in Hebron, though, was the friends that I made here at the center. Peole were open from the first day, and even though I was only at the center for two weeks, I would go out to cafes or restaurants with people from the center almost every day, and we also went on a weekend trip to Bethelem and Nablus (where we had the best knafeh you can possibly find!).

All in all, I really enjoyed my stay in Hebron and the experiences and the new friends I found through the center. Recommended.

I had a wonderful time in Hebron. Teaching was intensive and of a high quality and I felt like I had improved a lot by the end of the week. The centre is situated in the middle of Hebron with plenty of opportunities to practice your Arabic in local shops and the old city. My teacher Maryam was fantastic and I will continue my lessons online with her afterwards. Everyone was extremely kind and welcoming and I can't wait to come back andvisit again. I felt really safe all the time (as a woman I felt ok walking around in the evening to get a taxi etc.) and I did not feel at risk at any point

Value = Excellent
Instruction = Good
Housing = Adequate
Support = Needs Improvement

I attended the beginner colloquial Arabic intensive immersion course for one month in July of 2022. I recommend the Arabic immersion program with the Excellence Center for beginner and intermediate Arabic speakers. The instruction is high quality and the value of this program is excellent. However, there could be improvements with the accommodations and support which were still more than adequate considering the price.

Before attending this course I recommend that all students study sufficient Arabic to be capable of reading text in Arabic script as well as understand basic greetings and introductions. I also recommend that people attending this course consider the quality and convenience of the housing you desire and request the ideal housing for your needs before your arrival. This may incur additional costs but it is worth it if it helps you focus.

Instruction

When I attended the Excellence Center, all Arabic immersion students were provided personalized instruction in groups of 3 or less with instructors who were college educated native Arabic speakers. Many of the instructors also speak English which is helpful for absolute beginners such as myself. The instructors are not necessarily educated as Arabic language instructors through a university or certification program. For example, my instructor was a recent graduate with a degree in business who had been trained in providing Arabic instruction.

Given the small class size this is the highest quality of instruction that is feasible. I would not recommend the Excellence Center for advanced Arabic speakers looking for university level instruction. This course is clearly designed to increase general competency and fluency rather than achieve advanced proficiency in a professional or academic setting. Of course, this course would also benefit those at those more advanced levels. However, I am not able to make a recommendation given my lack of knowledge. The Excellence Center does provide other programs that may connect students with professionals in their respective fields. I only had incidental exposure to those programs.

Prior to my arrival, I had only had 6 online lessons with a tutor on Italki and had not completed Unit 1 on Mango Languages. I had not learned how to read Arabic script and had only begun to learn basic greetings. Because of this, it was necessary for the instructor to teach me how to read which required instruction in English. This was not the most effective use of my instructor's time. Due to my lack of preparation, I did not receive the full benefits of an immersion program. However, if I had spent more time studying with an online tutor prior to my arrival then I would have had the opportunity to have a full immersion experience.

Nonetheless, I would still recommend this program for absolute beginners.

Despite my lack of preparation, the staff at the Excellence Center made sure to provide me with personalized instruction that best fit my needs and goals. By the time I left, I could competently read Arabic text and obtained a basic functional level of speaking sufficient to order food, hail a taxi, purchase items in a store, and other types of basic interactions. This was a huge improvement of my prior skills where I couldn't read and struggled with basic greetings.

Most importantly, I am now able to study Arabic in full immersion.

However, I could have made even more progress had I studied more prior to my arrival. I observed people who had studied with a tutor for one year or could speak MSA recieve a full immersion experience which could help them reach a much higher level.

I also saw that when students requested modifications to their instruction that the staff was responsive to those requests. Do not hesitate to express your needs to the staff. They will do their best to accommodate within reason.

Value

The Excellence Center provides instruction, breakfast, and housing for less than the cost of other programs that only provide instruction. They stretch every penny to ensure that the needs of their students are met. In addition, many other programs require that students attend during specified dates. However, the Excellence Center provides flexible dates for instruction. During my time at the Center, students would arrive and depart continuously.

The Center's program are promoted with specified dates. It is probably ideal to make an effort to start within these recommended time frames. However, I had a scheduling conflict for the first few days of my program and the Excellence Center allowed me to push back the start and end dates of my one month program. This flexibility led to a more chaotic feeling at the Center than many were accustomed to, but the staff were very skillful at coordinating many moving parts in real time.

Accommodations

Considering the cost of the program, the accommodations were more than adequate. The Excellence Center advertises home stays. However, due to the demand following the end of the Covid-19 lock-down it was necessary for the Center to house many of the students in "dorms" which were apartments they rented for students.

Some students were disappointing that they were housed in dorms, but since my Arabic skills were so minimal I found it helpful to be in the company of others who had more advanced skills. Also, it appeared that the staff would provide home stays to students upon request. There just weren't enough home stays available for all students at that time.

With that said, it may be an improvement to have dorms and other housing available. The home stay experience is not for everyone. If you are a private person, have strict personal needs, have social anxiety, or don't have much experience with other cultures then a home stay may not be ideal.

My dorm was a 30 minute walk from the Center which was not convenient and impeded my ability to study outside my instruction. I enjoyed the walk and convinced myself that a long walk would be nice. However, the inconvenience eventually proved to be somewhat detrimental to my learning experience.

However, the staff were more than available to provide alternative housing. There was a dormitory in a building that was not in good quality which was only a 15 minute walk from the Center. Additionally, there was a private apartment within 5 minutes walking distance that I could rent for a reasonable amount.

If you are a person with limited funds then I would encourage you to request the accommodations that best serve your needs. Be aware that if you prefer convenience you will likely need to sacrifice quality and vice versa.

On the other hand, if you are a person who has extra funds then I would highly recommend inquiring into your ideal housing options for additional costs. There may be a private apartment or home stay very close to the Center that will be less expensive than the Hebron Hotel which is a 4 minute walk from the Center. Even if the Center staff are unable to provide you with the ideal housing, the Hebron Hotel is relatively inexpensive, albeit slightly run down. They provide discounts for extended stays so I would recommend asking the Center staff to book the room for you.

Support

At the time I attended the Excellence Center, there was a flood of students who had been waiting to attend courses until after the pandemic. The support staff worked tirelessly to meet the needs of the students, but there were still gaps or delays in their responsiveness. I would have liked to have seen one additional staff member providing administrative and program support. However, this will likely improve since this may only have been part of the post-pandemic transition.

Conclusion

Great value: The Excellence Center provides an amazing value for housing, food, and immersive instruction by a college educated, native Arabic speaker. I would recommend this program for both beginner and intermediate Arabic speakers.

Request housing: You can improve your experience by requesting the best housing to meet your needs prior to signing up for your course. If you have the funds then I would recommend requesting upgraded housing options.

Learn to read Arabic: You can improve your experience by learning how to read and studying basic conversation prior to your arrival. Definitely prioritize reading skills! I would recommend at least 12 lessons per week on an online platform prior to your arrival. However, I would still recommend this program even if you are unable to study beforehand.

My time in Hebron has been pleasantly and proufoundly insightful and enjoyable. From the staff and students at the Excellence Center, the local people and the host family, the people of Palestine are extremely hospitable and welcoming.
I have learn't a great deal about the education, medical and human rights presence as well as the cultural values. It has raised awareness in a differenet perspective and I hope to visit Palestine again and stay connected with the countless beautiful people I have met.

Over the last 3 weeks, I have not only gained a wealth of useful experience at the Excellence Centre but I have made several lifelong friends. All of the staff at the centre were incredibly welcoming, easy to talk to and made daily life at the centre more rewarding. Rafat and Radwan are both always around to help answer any questions or solve any problems. Both Ali and Muaz keep the centre extremely lively during the day and gave us cool ideas for what to do and where to go in the city.

The Excellence Centre has helped me to drastically improve my Arabic level, going from a beginner to having a solid understanding of the foundations of the language in roughly 2 weeks. My Arabic lessons with Abeer were extremely useful and productive and I am really grateful for her help during my time here.

The Excellence Centre provides you with the opportunity to truly improve your understanding of teaching methods. Learning how to engage with students, particularly from refugee backgrounds, is extremely fulfilling and provides you with a challenge to engage and better understand different cultures.

In regards to the social aspect of the Excellence Centre, it was easy to get to know the volunteers, and we all clicked very quickly.

I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who desires a challenge, but also would like the comfort of knowing that you are in excellent hands with the staff here in Halle.

My name is Kate, I am from the Netherlands, and I studied law and politics. At the
Excellence Center I followed the Human Rights programme. I also had around 3
hours of Arabic lessons a week. My teacher was great. He tailored a programme
exactly to my needs and got me motivated to learn. In addition to the lessons, being
around so many people who are willing to teach their language and help you speak
the language really helped me learn so much.

The best thing I liked at the center were the teachers who work there. They did not
only teach us Arabic and Human Rights, but they were truly there whenever we
needed. They were so kind and they really created a warm and comfortable
environment.

During my stay we had many site visits with the Excellence Centre. For example, we
visited the Masafer Yata area, refugee camps, the courthouse, a law firm, a hospital,
the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, and so many more. We also explored
Hebron itself - we received a tour in the Old City, explaining the current situation, and
a visit to the beautiful Ibrahimi Mosque. We also visited the glass factory and the
Kufiya factory in Hebron. Next to site visits, we also had people over at the
Excellence Centre to talk about Human Rights, such as a journalist that covers
conflict areas and warzones.

During the weekend, many volunteers like to travel and visit different places in
Palestine. We’d usually plan something as a group and everyone that wanted, could
join the trip. We’ve been to Jericho, the dead sea, Bethlehem, Jerusalem and many
more places.

The people in Hebron are absolutely amazing. I feel so welcome and they make sure
that you have everything you need and want. The city itself is very lively, at any time
of the day you can find people on the street. There are so many cute shops and the
food is really good! You cannot tell a Palestinian you are full, they won’t listen - they
will keep giving you food. I enjoyed my stay with my host family. The family has
some younger children, and during my stay they taught me some of the basics of
Arabic and I tried to teach them English. The family did live quite far away from the
center, which meant we were really dependant on the driver and/or people from the
host family to drive us to and from the center and a lot of taxi drivers did not know
the area very well. If you’d like some more freedom I would recommend asking for a
host family that lives closer to the center.

Hebron is a pretty safe city. A lot of the people are really helpful and friendly.
Although, like any other city in the world, you have to use your common sense. I
personally was always together with other people, and I rarely went out on my own.
This is a personal choice of course, and this does not mean that it is dangerous to go
out on your own. The culture towards women is a bit different, so keep that in mind
when you get here.

The thing I like most about Palestine is the people. As mentioned before, the people
are so friendly, helpful and welcoming.

My experience in Palestine is one I will never forget. It has been a truly special time
and I would recommend it to anyone that is interested to learn more about the
situation in Palestine, its culture and its people.

My name is Monika and I am a final year Biomedicine student. I am 28 years old. I come from Poland but I live in London. I also work as a senior healthcare assistant. In my job I provide clinical assistance to healthcare professionaluring my studies I learned about molecular cell biology and studied mutations in DNA. I decided to participate in the Volunteer in Medicine & Healthcare at the Excellence Centre in Hebron, Palestine.
The short time at the Centre was filled with interesting and fun activities. The staff was incredibly helpful and accommodating. They went above and beyond making sure I utilised my time in Palestine. Thanks to them I learned more about the culture, history, everyday struggles of people living here and how the healthcare system operates in Palestine. I visited two hospitals – public and private – and talked to medical and laboratory staff. The centre also organised two meetings with science students during which we could discuss differences between education in UK, Poland, and Palestine. I was impressed by the students knowledge. Together with other volunteers, we went to the Old City and Al Ibrahimi Mosque. We witnessed the difficulty of people living here, who have to go through numerous checkpoints. We talked to so many people from different professionals – from shoe makers, business owners, teachers to healthcare professionals. We also visited Al Fawwar refugee camp where we talked to UN workers. During my short time at the Excellence Centre I learned some very useful Arabic phrases, words and numbers. These have already helped me communicate with locals and the expressions I was taught, will be very useful while talking to patients at work.
The staff at the Excellence Centre is professional, kind and always smiling. They have created a wonderful, friendly environment for the volunteers from all over the world. The atmosphere is very welcoming and a discussion is always encouraged.
As I only came for a week, I will also visit Bethlehem to see more of Palestine. Living with a Palestinian family has been an incredible experience. This was a great insight into the life of people here, who welcomed me with open arms. We bonded quickly, exchange few stories, cooked for each other and I went to my host mum’s beauty salon to use her service. Talking to people here, who are incredibly kind and friendly has definitely been a highlight of this experience.
I felt very safe and comfortable in Palestine. As a single woman I never felt uneasy. Every time I struggled to communicate with locals, a stranger would join and help. People are very hospitable and proud of their culture – I really admire them.
This has been one of the best cultural, educational and travel experiences I have ever had. It was a great time with plenty of opportunities to gain insight into Palestine. I highly recommend to everyone to come here and participate in the programme. The mission and hard work of the staff at the Excellence Centre to educate – that is both Palestinians and foreigners – is truly remarkable and amazing. Everyone, from staff, locals to volunteers was smiling and had a positive attitude. Palestine is a great country with amazing people.