The Excellence Center Reviews

I spent 2 weeks in the Excellent Center, studying Modern Standard Arabic. I received 4 hours of teaching (or 3 hours, sans breaks), 6 days a week at the center. Entering the program my Arabic was very basic, only able to read and write with vowel markings, and form the most basic of sentences.
Now I have completed 2 weeks of the Program, I can read texts without vowel markings and hold more advanced conversations with people, both in Arabic and in the local dialect, which I have picked up just by speaking to people on the street - which is very easy to do so as the local peoples are so hospitable.
The Center is located in the city of Hebron, which is very convenient and allows for day trips to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and other then that.
Hebron is a very safe city, and you don't feel in any danger walking late at night to and from different restaurants, coffee shops and your accommodation. I can safely say I felt more secure staying in Hebron then I did in any major Western City.
Whilst getting around may be a bit of an adjustment to Westerners, as Google Maps does not work, the locals are more then happy to show you around or point you in the right direction, and you will soon become used to this.

I have a bachelor's degree in law. At the Excellence Center, I did the volunteer program with children.

Because Arabic is my native language, I got advanced classes which were super instructive and good for me as they allowed me to improve my reading and writing skills.
The employees in the EC listen very carefully to what you want and help you to achieve it. It was very nice and easy for me to communicate with them.

In addition to the program, I had two days off each week. I could decide for myself what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. Because other volunteers are also present, we were able to travel together in Palestine and go to other cities. During my stay I went to Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus and Jaffa.

I felt very safe during my stay here in Palestine. At no point did I get the feeling that it is unsafe here.

It's hard to choose my favorite thing about Palestine because I enjoyed everything here: the food, the people, the atmosphere. Genuinely everything. If I had to choose just one thing it would be the people. The People are hospitable, nice, sweet and super helpful. The country is beautiful and the people who live here are even more beautiful.

The EC was a good place for me to learn more about Palestine, the situation, the people, and everything around it. Thanks to the EC, I've been given the opportunity to do thi

My name is Nizar Farsakh. I am a seventeen year old Palestinian American who has
participated in the Volunteer and Teach English program at the Excellence Center. The
Excellence Center has given me an extremely positive experience here in Hebron. Thanks to the Excellence Center I have been given the opportunity to participate in a large variety of activities during my stay in Hebron, such as insightful lectures given by staff, introductions to Palestinian art forms, and community bonding events. These activities centered around establishing a deeper understanding of Palestinian culture and their current situation under occupation. In addition to these multiple activities the Excellence Center provided me with
many opportunities to practice my spoken Arabic with staff members, which greatly helped
improve my Arabic during my stay in Hebron.
The environment of the Excellence Center is extremely positive and constructive. During
my time volunteering I worked with the most wonderful students who truly wanted to learn
English and learn more about the multitude of volunteers working them. These students helped sculpt a very positive environment for both students and volunteers. In addition to this, staff members and other volunteers created a positive working environment by taking time to know each other outside of the classroom. Often, I have found myself conversing with other volunteers and staff members for hours after the center closed and lessons ended. The
Excellence Centers positive environment greatly contributed to making my stay in Hebron
extremely enjoyable.
Besides the multiple activities planned by the Excellence Center for volunteers, the
Center prepared multiple trips for Volunteers. These trips included trips to Palestine market places, tours of the Old City of Hebron, and other adventures in the Hebron area. Overall, these trips where extremely insightful and gave volunteers the opportunity to see first hand what life is like in Hebron. In addition to these Excellence Center planed trips, volunteers often got
together on their own to plan their own trips over weekends to places like Jerusalem and
Bethlehem.
Living in Hebron was extremely enjoyable, I lived in a small apartment with two other
volunteers who where extremely pleasant to stay with. Over the first few days of my stay in Hebron many misconceptions of the place where easily dismissed. The people here where extremely nice and I even made friends with many of the shop owners on the street we lived on. In addition to this, I had absolutely no concern over my safety while I was In the Palestinian sections of the city.
Over the course of my stay I found that my favorite aspect of Hebron was its people.
The people here are extremely nice and love to talk to you and get to know you. The hospitality of the people of Hebron is unmatched and you’ll often find yourself invited for a cup of coffee by shop owners as you go exploring in the city.
As for my favorite memory of my time here in Hebron, I believe it was when I was given
the opportunity to visit the Al Fawwar refugee and get teach English to the amazing children there. These children where extremely nice and loved learn about us volunteers and play fun games with us. I greatly enjoyed teaching in Al Fawwar and other villages near Hebron, and they are among my greatest memories from my stay in Hebron.
After visiting Palestine and working in the Excellence Center my lasting Impression of
Palestine and Its people is of an extremely gentle and kind people living under a harsh and brutal occupation. I recommend the Excellence Center to everyone as I believe that through working in the Excellence Center you are given the opportunity to truly learn about the people here and the state of Palestine.
Overall, my experience at the Excellence Center was extremely eye opening and I
recommend for everyone to visit Palestine.

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My name is Saranne, I’m a primary school teacher from Ireland. I’ve always had an interest in Palestine and the issues the Palestinian people face. And the excellence centre seemed like the perfect place to get an insight into every day life for the people living in Hebron. This is why I chose to participate in the women’s rights program. I got the opportunity to visit many female activists within the community who are defending the human rights of Palestinians against the occupation and met different groups who promote women’s voices within the Palestinian community. The knowledge I gained from my visits to community groups was invaluable. I also participated in Arabic classes and really enjoyed being immersed in the language and culture by my wonderfully patient teacher Anais. Shukran kteer! I stayed with a lovely host family who took great care of me and did their best to ensure I was safe and comfortable in their home. I truly felt part of the family and got to share in many happy memories with them during Eid. Overall I felt extremely safe in Hebron, the locals are friendly and Marwa and Oussama the centers coordinators were always there to help me or answer any questions I had. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone who is interested in learning more about Palestine and you will be not be disappointed with Palestinian hospitality!

Ahlan!
My name is Nathalie Hanzlik-Meech and I am from Canada. I am currently a High School student at the American School of Dubai, in the UAE. During the summer of my Junior year, I particiapted in a three-week intensive Arabic program at the Excellence Center in al-Khalil (Hebron). During this time I was able to not only improve my Arabic skills but also meet and befriend like-minded people and experince daily life in one of the most interesting regions of the world. Needless to say, as my last day at the center drew to a close, I felt that I could have easily spent three more weeks.

My intensive Arabic program consisted of three and a half hour classes every morning, with a half an hour break for a traditional (and delicious!) Palestinian breakfast. Having already studied Fusa (MSA) Arabic at my school, my classes at the center focused on the Ammiyah (spoken) dialect. While ultimately following a course book, individual class schedules were flexible and material was taught depending on the needs and requests of the student. I was given opportunities to practice my speaking, reading, writing and listening skills (though the greatest time was spent speaking). As a word of advice, I personally found it extremely helpful to build an English-Arabic dictionary with all of the new words I was learning.

Aside from my goal of studying Arabic, I also was interested in teaching English to non-native speakers in Palestine. After only a week at the center, an opportunity arose that allowed me to tutor a Palestinian lady for the TOEFL English exam. Soon, I was tutoring the lady every day after my Arabic classes for an hour and a half. In addition to this, after becoming fast friends with Palestinan teacher at the center, I found myself assisting in conversational English classes with Palestinian youth. Through these two experiences, unplanned though they were, I was able to discover my love for teaching English while also learn the complexities of the Palestinian situation from first hand accounts.

However, my experience of Palestine stretched far beyond the Excellence Center itself. Day trips were organized by the center and included guided tours of the Old City, the famous Hebron Keffiyeh Factory and a hike through beautiful region nearby to Bethlehem, to name a few. In addition to these trips, I had many adventures which I undertook with other internationals at the center. I had far too many adventures to list here, but a few major ones consisted of deeply exploring al-Khalil, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. I have memories of those adventures that I will never forget.

In terms of my experience of life in al-Khalil, I can say with confidence that there are few other people who I have met who are as friendly, welcoming and caring as those in al-Khalil. If you opt to stay with a host family, you will likely be considered a family member by the end of your stay and take with you memories of family dinners, lunches, and family celebrations. In addition to the welcoming atmosphere of the city, I found it to be very safe. With that being said, keeping oneself ‘street-smart’ applies in al-Khalil as it does anywhere else. In terms of the likelihood of experiencing and being involved in political skirmishes, I would say that is very rare.
I would highly recommend engaging with the Excellence Center in al-Khalil if you are someone who wants to learn more about Palestine, the culture, language and current situation there. Perhaps equally as important, I would recommend the center if you are someone open to having new adventures and make memories that will last a lifetime. Even spending a time as short as three weeks will undoubtably leave you knowing far more about Palestine, knowing far more about yourself, and knowing people who you will always remember.

Hello, my name is Audria, and I am from the United States. I have two bachelor’s degrees in International Studies and Middle Eastern Languages & Cultures from Indiana University. During my time at the Excellence Center in Palestine, I participated in the Teach English & Study Arabic program. As an English teacher, I gave multiple private lessons and taught large classrooms with students of all ages and levels. In addition to preparing for lessons and teaching certain classes, I gave a presentation on the experience of teaching for other English teachers at the center.

As for my Arabic courses, I had one or two lessons per week with an Arabic instructor. These courses helped me learn more about the Palestinian dialect and Ammiya Arabic as a whole.

I visited a few sites with the Human Rights Program, including a trip to the Governor’s Office and the Hebron Municipality. Additionally, I went on a few trips with the entire Center, which included a site visit to a mountainous area where we ate dinner together.

The Excellence Center’s environment is very open, caring, and easy-going. The staff and faculty are always willing to answer your questions and take care of your concerns. The Center is quite lenient with your schedule and available to your suggestions and recommendations. Other volunteers are nice and tolerant, as most of them come to Palestine with a similar sense of curiosity, adventure, interest, and respect.

Throughout my time in Palestine, I visited several cities and places. I traveled to Ramallah, Jerusalem, Nablus, and Bethlehem. I visited more southern parts of Palestine with my host family. The host family I stayed with was lovely and very welcoming. Through living with a family from Hebron, in Hebron, I was given a full immersion to the culture and the language.

In regard to safety, I felt very safe in Hebron and Palestine at-large. Other than normal uncertainties and moments of hyper-awareness that are expected with any travel experience, my time in Palestine was safe and secure.

My favorite thing about Palestine is the people, the Palestinians. Of course, the food and the environments are delightful, but the people are what make Palestine great. My favorite stories are simply of the many laughs and moments I had with the friends I made through the fellow interns and volunteers at the Center.

Overall, my experience in Palestine and with the Excellence Center was beautiful and lovely. I thoroughly enjoyed my time. I highly recommend this experience to others, especially those that want to fully immerse themselves in the culture, language, and the environment.

My name is Nico, and I am from the U.S., where I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in
Middle Eastern Studies. Here at the Excellence Center, I was part of the Women’s Rights and
Human Rights volunteer program for two weeks, which consisted of visiting local human rights
and women’s rights organizations in order to learn about the work they were doing and the
challenges that they faced.
While I was here, I also took some Arabic lessons, which I found helpful and appropriate for my
level. I knew some Arabic before coming, so the lessons were focused on getting me to speak
more in conversation, and to fill in words and phrases specific to Palestine and Hebron that I
hadn’t learned anywhere else. In all, they were exactly what I had hoped they would be when I
signed up.
The staff, other students, and everyone involved at the Center were incredibly welcoming,
friendly, and helpful. Any time I needed help finding an ATM, an open restaurant, or how to take
a trip to a different city– I could ask others and they would happily give me the information I
needed (or point me in the direction of someone who would know). People in Hebron were also
very friendly and welcoming– every day I would be greeted by “Hi! Welcome to Hebron!” as I
walked past people. I felt very safe in Palestine, as people may have been surprised by the
presence of a tourist, but often went out of their way to see if I needed help or advice. I never
felt unwelcome or uncomfortable in Palestine or in Hebron.
With the center, I visited areas around Hebron and took a bus trip with many other students and
teachers to Mar Saba Monastery near Bethlehem, one of the oldest still active churches in
existence, to the village of Bitar, where we sat in the natural park and visited the roman bath and
pool, and to the wall within the city of Bethlehem. By myself, I visited the Old City of Jerusalem,
Ramallah, and Bethlehem, where I saw the Church of the Nativity and many other historical
sites.
People in Palestine and at the center were incredibly welcoming and helpful. One of my favorite
stories was when I took a taxi to Bethlehem and the driver asked me if I liked arabic coffee. I

told him yes, not thinking much of it, but the next thing I knew we were pulled over on the side of
the road and he was buying me a cup of coffee and water. Like this experience, people here go
out of their way to help and to welcome you, and every day was a wonderful new experience
that I would suggest to others to take!

Although, I could stay only for a week, I’ve learned some useful phrases, learned more about the culture.
Everyone was very kind and helpful and welcomed friendly. Whenever I had a question, I always could find someone who could help me out, answer for my questions.
Before my arrival to Hebron, I’ve spent one day in Jerusalem and I have attended to a trip to Bethlehem with the center.
Many times, I walked home alone during the night. Even though I wasn’t familiar to the city, I felt safer than in the city I live. Besides, anytime I got lost I always found someone who could help me out or drop me.
I can’t emphasize one specific part, because I have enjoyed my entire staying. However, I gained a lot of experience about the happenings in Palestine.
If someone wants to learn about Palestine, I would recommend the program for the first place.

My experience at the Excellence Center has been amazing and I've had so much fun in the weeks that I was here. I spent most of my time at the center itself but I have visited other places around Halle and other cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Darmstadt, and Thale. Everyone at the center is super friendly and were great people to hang around. The Center organized a couple events like tours, gatherings, and trips like Berlin and Thalle for example. There are also weekly soccer matches that are held at a park nearby and the winning team usually gets a prize. The atmosphere at the center is amazing and the people here are fun to hang out with in general. I found myself rarely alone here and had a ton of fun hanging out with people at parks and the river nearby. I took the german classes here and it was pretty good even though I had very little background knowledge about german. I helped another volunteer with her one on one classes as I was only able to teach by myself in online classes since I was a minor. Even though I was one of the youngest at the center I didn’t feel left out or anything like that but instead found myself pretty comfortable and making friends with people in Halle. Halle is pretty safe overall, I haven’t experienced any feeling of fear while walking around the city late at night. I also learned a lot about the refugee situation in Halle and the process of integration for incoming refugees like language, housing, and job programs while also learning about how it could be improved. We also visited a couple of Syrian restaurants with amazing food for such cheap prices. The volunteers at the Center were amazing people and this experience will stick with me for the rest of my life. On a side note bring a lot of physical cash if you plan on eating out at a lot of these restaurants.