The Excellence Center Reviews

My name is Joshua Boyes, I am a doctor in the UK about to start training as a specialist in Obstetrics
and Gynaecology. I chose to come to the Excellence Centre to do the Medical and Healthcare
Programme for 3 weeks. For me, this involved visits to various hospitals in the Al-Khalil including a
government hospital, a private hospital and a newly built but non-functioning hospital. On these
visits I was able to meet with and discuss healthcare in Palestine with doctors and other healthcare
professionals. I was surprised to learn that the main barrier to improved healthcare is the allocation
of equipment to the hospital. There are plenty of very competent doctors that I met throughout my
time and their main complaint was not having the resources to do their job. The other challenge was
the sheer volume of patients in a cramped government hospital, while the new hospital struggle to

exist at capacity due to the lack of equipment.

After learning a bit about the healthcare situation in Palestine, I was then able to provide some
lessons to students at the local Hebron University. For me this was the best part of the whole
programme. The students came from a wide range of disciplines including medicine, nursing,
pharmacy, midwifery, lab science and biology. In these sessions I was able to share with them some
of my own clinical experiences and provide some training on communication skills, medical ethics
and academic writing. The students were very engaging and asked lots of good questions, I was
impressed with their knowledge and enthusiasm. They were incredibly grateful for the information I
shared with them. Through this teaching I was also able to learn a lot about them and asked many
questions about the healthcare system in Palestine. We discussed life at university, what they think
of the doctor-patient relationship in Palestine as well as ethical issues in both the UK and Palestine.
My favourite moment was seeing the students debate real ethical cases and present their arguments

for and against.

Alongside the Medical and Healthcare, I also received Arabic lessons from one the of the brilliant
teachers at the session, Saja. The lessons were really fun and interactive, and I learnt lots of useful
phrases that I could then use in daily conversations. The overall environment of the centre was
equally conducive to speaking Arabic, as there were constant opportunities to speak with others and
ask questions. To be honest, there were definitely times when I wish I was studying Arabic at the
centre full time rather than teaching medicine. Furthermore, this experience has given me a great
boost and inspired me to continue to learn Arabic so that I can hopefully come back and explore the

Middle East some more.

As for Palestine itself, there is so much that I could say or write. It is difficult to put fully in to words
all that I have experienced in Palestine and all the emotions that I have felt whilst here. Whilst
initially I was worried about what the situation might be like, I have had no concerns during my time
here. In all my interactions with Palestinian people I have felt welcomed and a desire to connect.
People have been incredibly kind and generous and approach life with a great joy. This has been true
of the Palestinians I have met but also the other volunteers. I cannot speak highly enough of this
experience and programme. On a slightly lighter note, the food has also been a definite highlight.
Every single dish that I have tried here has been delicious and full of flavour. My particular favourite
was eating fresh figs for breakfast, one day I managed to get through about 12!
When I applied to the programme at the Excellence Centre, I did so without any particular
enthusiasm or excitement. I was simply looking for something interesting to do whilst awaiting to
start my new job. However, the time here has far exceeded my expectations. Whilst it hasn’t all

been easy and there have definitely been challenges, I have really loved my time at the centre, and I

truly hope that I can come back some day.

My experience in the Excellent Centre will be unforgettable. I went here to get to know new people and their culture, and this place met my expectation. Even though I was a teacher during our English classes, I feel that I was the one who learnt a lot from my students and their life experiences. Also, all people working in the Center and volunteers were friendly and easy to talk to. I would recommend Muaz as a German teacher to everyone.
I need to admit that at the beginning I didn't get all information about my accommodation and schedule until the last moment, and that make me feel anxious. Fortunately, during my stay, I didn't have any bad experiences and I lived with the best roommates for a month in Halle.
I can recommend this programme.

My name is Rachael. I am British/American but spent most of my childhood in France. I am
currently pursuing a master's degree in France and the UK in IR with a focus on diplomacy and the Middle East. I spent three months in Hebron participating in the Human Rights Program at the Excellence Center. As part of this program, I met with a multitude of grassroots organizations, local government authorities and international organizations (such as OCHA, the ICRC and UNRWA), all working on issues of human rights in Hebron and Palestine. In addition to weekly human rights visits, I gave English lessons in two villages close to Hebron with students ranging from ages 8 to 15.

I also received a few hours a week of Arabic classes. I had studied some modern standard Arabic before coming to Hebron, but these lessons really helped me learn how to speak the Ammiya dialect and communicate with people in Palestine.

The Excellence Center has a welcoming, easy-going and friendly environment. You will get to interact and develop friendships with the staff, the teachers, the students and the other international volunteers. The staff are always willing to take care of your concerns and adjust things as needed, so do not hesitate to voice your suggestions and recommendations as they arise. The staff and teachers are also always willing to answer your questions, about all topics. Depending on what time of the year you come there can be a wide range of how many volunteers are at the center (when I arrived in June there were roughly 20, in July we went up to 40 and in August it went down to 10-15). There is a great sense of community at the center, and it is wonderful to be able to bond with other like-minded international volunteers.

What is great about the Center is that you have two consecutive days off per week which gives you time to travel around the country. Transport is relatively easy to most places which means I was able to travel to Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jaffo, Nablus and Jericho. I definitely recommend trying to visit as many places as you can!

As a woman I was able to live with host families which was a great experience. I stayed with two different families. The first family I stayed with for two months. They were absolutely lovely however I was living in a separate apartment from them, and I wanted to have a more immersive experience and practice my Arabic more. When I voiced this to the center they were very understanding and immediately put me in another host family. My second host family was so wonderful and welcoming, and I was really able to have a full immersive experience into the Hebron culture and language.

Regarding safety and security, I definitely felt safe in Hebron and Palestine at-large. Palestinians are some of the most welcoming and generous people you will ever meet and are always willing to help if you have any issues. However, as a woman, I did experience and witness a few uncomfortable situations with men, particularly young adult / teenage boys. This is not behavior that is ‘normalized’ by Hebronites at large and people were very upset and angry when we told them about the things we experienced. Unfortunately, these are things that happen all over the world and are therefore, unfortunately, to be expected everywhere (in my experience). Although Hebron is a very conservative society where men are very respectful to women, some men do not treat international women the same way they would treat Palestinian women. I am only writing about it here so that women that come in the future know to be aware of it and thus retain the same level of caution and wariness they would in any country. I want to emphasize that this would NEVER stop me from coming back to Hebron, or Palestine. I could not emphasis this enough!! This was not my first time in Palestine, and I will certainly be back.

I loved everything about my time in Palestine and would absolutely recommend that anyone who can, comes and sees Hebron with their own eyes at the Excellence Center. I have developed strong bonds with the incredible people that live here. Palestinians are unbelievably resilient and while I had presumed them to be skeptical of internationals, especially people from countries whose governments fund the occupation like mine do, they could not have been more kind, generous and welcoming. I will miss Palestine’s warmth, people, and food everyday but, inshallah, I will be back soon!

I taught English for 8 weeks, and it was truly a great experience. Rafat, Ali, and Radwan were very easy to work with and I had a lot of time in the classroom. I made plenty of friends, both other interns and (thanks to Ali) other Germans and immigrants living in Germany. Halle was a great city as well. It's small and not many people know about it so you actually get the chance to use either German or Arabic rather than English, and there are tons of parks and great spots to eat. My living arrangements were great as well -- I was in a nice student apartment with two German university students. Can't recommend enough.

The atmosphere is very welcoming. The center invites volunteers from all over to participate in internships, language classes, the teaching program or the journalism program. Many of the people I worked with were in the "Teach English, Learn Arabic/German" program. My original plan was to arrive the summer of 2020 for the Refugee Resettlement Internship. Unfortunately, due to covid, I was not able to. Instead, my plan was to return when it was safer to do so, which I was luckily able to do this summer.

The activities at the center were great. I came in unsure of what my daily life would look like. My first day was calm, and I was quite jet-lagged. The next few days, I spent with my roommates. The next week, a number of new people arrived, who were eager to spend time together. Our first day, the center arranged a tour for us to explore the city. During the tour, we were instructed to get to know each other, with ice breaker questions. We all became so close within that day, and that closeness felt like it had developed weeks or months earlier. Halle is close to many great cities and I was lucky enough to arrive during the 9-euro ticket initiative, where it was cheaper to travel. With my center friends, I traveled to Leipzig (20min away) and Dresden (2hrs away), and also got to visit someone in Plauen.

This year, I will be doing a year-long volunteer service in Berlin, so I wanted to improve my German before doing so. I could only stay for 3 weeks this time, but my teacher Muaz was one of the best I’ve ever had. Not only did we practice grammar and vocabulary exercises in class, but we got day-to-day experience exploring Halle, meeting people, testing vocabulary on the street, in a grocery store and cafe, and having cultural conversations. It’s not what I would have expected for 3 hours a day, but so much more helpful than anything I’ve ever experienced.

Halle is a beautiful city with lots of great qualities. The architecture is beautiful while also older. Unlike some of its neighbors, Halle wasn’t destroyed in the second world war. The city community is vibrant, and community-like. Walking with center staff, everyday we’d run into someone they knew (or two or three). It’s not a tiny city, but not overwhelming and huge. I would highly recommend this program to anyone that wants to travel somewhere new, meet new people and help others!

I have enjoyed my two-week volunteering experience at the Excellence Centre in Halle.
It feels rewarding to be able to support some refugee children in their learning of English. In the first week, I was teaching with another volunteer. We were able to prepare teaching materials together. It is also helped by the fact that the Excellence Centre has classrooms and teaching facilities.
Apart from the teaching, I took German classes as well which I find very helpful. My teacher Muaz taught very well.
Another aspect which I liked a lot is the inter-cultural exchange between the volunteers. There is a communal breakfast every morning in the week at the centre, which helped us get to know each other very quickly. I think we have all enjoyed hanging out together and getting to know each other’s cultures.
Overall, I had a great experience at the Excellence Centre.

Hi, I'm Hisham, originally Moroccan but born in Spain. I'm a pharmacy graduate from the University of Barcelona, currently studying a PhD in cancer sciences at the University of Southampton, UK.
I joined the Arabic Immersion Intensive programme for the month of August at the Excellence center in Hebron.
I must say that after spending a whole month in Palestine, I can feel that my Arabic has greatly improved. I've been taught by two different wonderful teachers who were very attentive and supportive, and taught us not only about the Arabic language but also about the Palestinian culture and heritage which is something that unfortunately we don't know much about.
Upon arriving I had my mind set on continuing to study Modern Standard Arabic or Fusha, but after speaking with Marwa and the teachers I realized that even if Fusha is used widely in mainstream media and studies, no one speaks it in the streets. Hence, I changed my mind and started studing the Levantine Dialect, with just a couple weeks of classes in the center I was able to understand the most common words the locals used and communicate with them easily.
I've been able to interact with plenty of locals, people in Palestine are extremely friendly, open and welcoming, they're willing to help you out in whatever it is that you need, and this has probably been the thing that has struck me the most. I've been invited over by a taxi driver to have maqloubah at his house, I've been invited by strangers to join them at restaurants, and I've been offered plenty of cups of tea and coffee for free! I've been able to visit Ramallah, Jericho, the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, Bethlem, Jerusalem and Aqqah, all beautiul places with plenty of history.
The center took us on trips to the old city with a guide which were very insightful and we managed to learn about the daily struggle Palestinians live when having to deal with the occupation.
My mom was quite worried when I told her I was going to Palestine, she was scared and didn't want me to go out of fear. Upon arriving in Palestine, I also had some misconceptions but after living in Palestine myself, I can say that it's all lies. I've never felt safer when travelling, when I got lost I asked a guy for indications and he took me in his own car and drove me to the spot I needed to go.
My overall experience has been fantastic, from the Palestinian people, to the teachers, and to the other students, I've enjoyed every single moment that I've been here and I can't recommed it enough!!
So don't hesitate, and come to the Excellence Center in Hebron!

I am a recent graduate from the USA (University of Wisconsin-Madison) with Palestinian heritage. I had never traveled to Palestine before, and was looking for opportunities to serve the Palestinian community and learn more about my culture and history. The Excellence Center was the perfect option for doing so. At the Excellence Center, I did the Volunteer and Study Arabic program for two weeks. I taught English lessons alongside an English instructor and engaged in cultural exchange with my students. Furthermore, I attended a cultural performance show where students performed self-created poems, songs, and plays inspired by their Palestinian experiences. It was incredible to hear them share their stories. Other opportunities offered by the Excellence Center were tours of the Old City of Hebron, Glass factory, Keffiyeh factory, hospitals, and refugee camps. I had three hours of Arabic instruction per week, and it was particularly helpful to learn the Palestinian dialect, which contained many rich words that helped me immerse myself in the community more. The staff and other volunteers were incredibly welcoming, and one of the best benefits of the program is getting to meet people from all over the world. The staff is always engaging with volunteers and available for any support. My host family was also wonderful and I learned a lot from them about the ongoing occupation and how their lives were affected. Despite having misconceptions about safety in Palestine due to Israeli threats, I felt incredibly safe. My favorite things about Hebron were the people and the food! This positive experience has encouraged me to return to the Excellence Center sometime in the future. I highly recommend this experience for those looking to learn more about the Palestinian people and culture.

I had a wonderful time at the ECEurope and would really recommend the experience!
Teaching English to refugee students has been very rewarding, especially watching them grow more confident and talkative even over the course of just a few lessons together. I also learnt so much and gained confidence, both from the teaching process and learning German myself, through lessons provided by the centre. It was also an absolute pleasure getting to meet and know the other ECE volunteers and staff, I can't imagine a friendlier group of people! Its a special experience to meet strangers from around the world and in less than 48hours feel like old friends - and the activities run by the ECE (from classes, to breakfast and football to a city tour) definitely helped cement this feeling. Overall I had a great time there and would recommend volunteering and learning at the centre to anyone.

I’m from Japan, currently pursuing my master's degree on Modern Arab History, and this was my second stay in Palestine but the first one in Hebron. I participated in the women’s rights volunteer programs for six weeks. I am very much satisfied with the overall experience at the center and my stay in Hebron, for the reasons most of the previous participants have already mentioned - welcoming and generous people, richness in culture and history, abundant opportunities to immerse yourself in the local culture. Despite some points that should be improved, I recommend this program especially to those who have never been to Palestine and wish to get a good grasp on the situation of Palestine.

The program consisted of 3h/w Arabic lessons, lectures on a variety of topics by the local staffs at the center/lecturers from the outside, visits to local organisations/humanitarian NGOs and UN offices/activists/artists/Palestinian villages/Palestinian residents in Israeli-controlled areas/refugee camps/settlements etc. Since there were only a few participants in the women’s rights program while I was here, I was put in the same activities as Human Rights program most of the time. Among some activities that are specifically related to women’s rights are visits to local associations such as “Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association” and “Women’s Studies Centre”, where we could ask them about the problems the local women face in detail.

Although I was expecting to have more opportunities to actually volunteer at certain places, the Human rights/Women’s rights program were designed to make participants understand the general situation of Hebron rather than to give them opportunities to actively do something. In my case, the center allowed us to hold two sessions of workshops about the women’s rights for teenage girls at the center, which was one of the memorable experiences to me. If you are looking for interactions with the locals, I would recommend English teaching programs, or to make specific requests to the center on what you want to do, as the center is really open to suggestions and try their best to meet your requests in most of the cases.

As for the Arabic classes, I was happy with all three teachers I had lessons with during the program. If I am to be honest, the level of the lessons was too easy for me as I already have B2-C1 level of MSA and dialect Arabic, but I still benefited from the lessons where I could have a deep conversation with them in Arabic for an hour straight, which was quite an intensive speaking practice.

As I wrote in the beginning, the experience at the center would be the perfect introduction to your understanding about Palestine. Even for those who are already familiar with the situation of Palestine, you could take advantage of the connections you make with locals throughout the program and visit them individually. As I don’t have difficulties in talking with locals in Arabic, I visited so many Palestinians I have met throughout the program and sometimes stayed at their places overnight, which gave me detailed understating of their culture and daily life. Especially if you have interests in specific fields, the center will introduce you to the right people. In my case, because I am studying the history of Palestine under British Mandate and interested in Palestinian embroidery, I truly benefited from some activities such as the presentation by a local history researcher, who later generously shared with me some primary sources relevant to my research, as well as the visit to a village where I became friends with a Palestinian woman who has a great collection of vintage Palestinian embroidered dresses and is a wonderful embroidery artist herself.

With regards to the host family, I was lucky enough to be placed at a wonderful family, who always invited me to join their family activities- dinner, visiting/receiving their relatives, Eid al-adha celebration, chilling at a nearby cafe, etc-. In case you are not satisfied with your host family, you can ask the center to change your host family like some of my roommates did before they came to our host family’s place.

On the safety here in Hebron, despite frequent Israeli forces’ night raids on Palestinian houses, confrontation between the locals and the Israeli soldiers, and Israeli setters’ harassment to the locals, you will have almost zero chance to be in a dangerous situation as long as you stay away from those volatile areas, and I did not face any difficulties in traveling to other cities either. You have to keep in mind that this is not the case for locals, and you would often be reminded of your privilege as a foreigner (or non-Palestinian) in the racist occupation system especially when you see the difference in the way you and locals are treated at the checkpoints, where the soldiers stop Palestinians and investigate them for ages for no reason.

About the center itself, the staff is all nice and kind people, and ready to offer you a help you need. I must say that the program was not necessarily perfect in every single aspect, such as lack of communication before the arrival (confirmation that the center received the tuition fee and the instruction on the way to get to the center, etc), relatively poor organization of the program as every activity may be subject to change at the last minute, shortage of the staffs to attend us at the visits, where sometimes I and some internationals of Arab origin had to do interpretation between locals and the other volunteers, chances of being put in an activity not relevant to your program (such as teaching English session in my case), but all the good points I mentioned above made up for most of these cons.

Brief notes on the internationals at the center: everyone is nice and friendly, and most importantly, shares the pro-Palestinian view, so I always felt comfortable to share with them whatever opinion I had on the situation here. You will meet people from diverse backgrounds in terms of ethnicity, religion, age, occupation and life experience, and this is another thing I enjoyed at the center as the only participant not from either the US or Europe at the time of my participation.

Last but not least, I would like to thank the center, which allowed me to spend the the most beautiful two months I have ever had in my life here in Hebron, the Hebron people and the internationals I have met during my stay.