The Excellence Center Reviews

There is an immediate sense of hospitality and kindness that strikes you as you step into the center. The staff, volunteers and students welcome you with open arms full of food and coffee!

Alongside the well structured course tailored to your level, the one on one classes facilitate the opportunity to rapidly improve your knowledge of the language. There are ample occasions to converse with native speakers throughout your trip, getting first hand experience.

The teachers are friendly, providing a flexible schedule to accommodate your travels and trips around Palestine. I thoroughly recommend visits to Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jerusalem.

Be prepared: you will leave with lifelong friends, from across the globe, and a desire to return for more!

In my view the time I have been here, taking part in the English program and learning Arabic language in the Excellence Center in Palestine have been one of the most wonderful and interesting experiences that I have had in my entire live. I reckon I was useful helping the students in the English lessons and in these situations I have learned a lot about the Palestine culture and the way of life. I am very grateful with the Excellence Center staff, they help me a lot during the time I have been in Hebron and even before arriving here. In fact, I had a problem with the airline company regarding to my luggage and they help me a lot to solve it. Regarding to my Arabic teacher, Ahlam, She was very clear in his explanations and I could learn a lot in just 3 lessons. Besides, She is very kind and helpful. I would love to maintain the contact with us because actually I think I have a new friend. On the other hand, I would only change one thing and it is the time I was in Hebron, only two weeks, but I made the choice of coming back the next summer and probably to keep here more time than in this time. I would recommend this volunteering to everybody that want to know Palestine, its culture and situation and help the wonderful students of the Center.

I volunteered at the Excellence Center for one week in August 2019.
My host mom was a lovely Sudanese woman who went to great lengths to make me feel welcome. She even invited me along to the Mosque, where she normally worked and where the kids from the neighborhood had their classes, and afterwards to their barbeque later that evening.

As for my daily routine, every day I would walk to the center, the view of the Saale river on my right. When there, I would help preparing breakfast and then enjoy it with all the other volunteers, before our day started.
Normally, I would teach one class to early teenagers, or two at most. So, I had a lot of free time to prepare for my classes and I used to spend the day looking up materials and activities with my computer.
My students were generally from Syria or Egypt and had been living in Germany for a few years, so their command of German was much better than their English. Sometimes the challenge, especially with beginners, was that they were often tempted to switch to German or Arabic, but with gestures, pictures and a lot of drawing on the board we were always able to communicate and learn new vocabulary.

I also had a total of 3 hours of Arabic classes taught by native speakers. Afterwards, I was able to say common greetings, understand the numbers and the days of the week and to tell simple things about daily activities such as working, eating and sleeping. The nicest part about the Arabic class was that my teacher would go get any other native speakers who was hanging at the center, so I could practice more and make sure I would be understood.

At the center, there's always a team leader in charge of organising activities for the group and ensuring everyone is helping out with the daily chores. All volunteers are also asked to give a presentation about their country and everyone is welcome to attend. At the end of the working week, there's usually a special activity planned. During my stay, we went for a barbecue at Peißniz, a park closeby where volunteers, students and friends were all invited to have dinner together.
In conclusion, my stay in Halle was brilliant. I really enjoyed teaching English and I found friendly people from all over the world at the center. I really recommend everyone to come and spend some time here, but for at least two weeks if you can.

From the middle of June to the middle of August I did teaching English/German volunteer for three weeks at the center. I had a great experience there.

-Teaching Experience
I taught English in one kids’ class and one individual class. Actually, I did almost nothing in my kids’ class because my partner did everything. Only what I did there is to help children individually. I also had a chance to teach German to a volunteer member who want to learn it, which was interesting for me. Sometimes we study outside or at a cafe, with seeing beautiful scenery in Halle.

-Learning Experience
I learned German and Arabic in the center. For a long time, I’ve been learning German, but it was the first time to learn Arabic. The teacher Rafat, a manager in the center was so supportive. We can practice what we have learned at any time because there are a lot of people who speak Arabic like Syrian. A few easy expressions can make our communication easily. I really liked these language courses here.

-Developing Community with Refugees
Refugees, the word is very unfamiliar for all of us in Japan. We rarely see or cannot recognize them though we heard about an unstable situation in Syria by newspapers. When I lived in Dresden in 2015, I feel something changing, however, I do not know how serious the reality is. Here I got to know some people from Syria, who are so clever and friendly despite their tough situation. They did great efforts to adapt themselves to German life. Now, I would like to do something related to refugees in Japan if I have a chance.

-Life (Homestay)
Living German itself is not new to me, but this was my first homestay. My host mother from Sudan was very nice. It was good that I met some Muslim culture.

Other volunteer staff is very supportive, kind, friendly. We understand each other though I had some difficulties in communication with them because of my English ability. I would like to visit the center someday!

I spent 6 weeks in Hebron teaching English and studying Arabic and had the most amazing time. The Excellence Center provides a well-rounded experience with plenty of support throughout your teaching of eager-to-learn Palestinian students as well as fantastic Arabic teachers who develop a learning curriculum catered to your knowledge and ability. This center provides a comfortable base to explore an incredible city and country as you are encouraged to engage with the local and surrounding communities. At no point during my time here did I feel in danger because in reality there is no threat to your safety and the local people make major efforts to make you feel comfortable. Palestinians are incredible hosts and the Excellence Center is a fantastic representative of that.

For me, this program was a great way to learn more about the plight of the Palestinian people and feel like I have done something to assist them in their struggle. I think by teaching English, volunteers give Palestinian children and adults a chance to communicate with the rest of the world. I also got the opportunity to learn about many of the obstacles Palestinians face by meetings that the Excellence Center organized for those of us who worked in the Human Rights arena. We got to meet with the governate of Hebron, who outlined Hebronites daily struggles, a community leader in Beit Omar who gave us a tour of her town and explained how the settlements there were impacting the Palestinian residents, and a therapist who worked at the Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture and who told us about her work, just to name a few. These meetings were informative and allowed me to really understand all that the Palestinians face in their struggles for equality and freedom.

Hebron, is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. As can be imagined, history is to be found at almost every nook and crannie of Hebron.

Of particular interest to me is the architecture of the homes and old buildings. Homes were built to with stand the harsh summer temperatures, as well as providing protection from the snowy cold winters. All homes are flat roofed which reminds me of the Andalucia and Algarve provinces of Spain and Portugal.

Hebronites are extremely hospitable people and if you don't have a taste for Arabian coffee you certainly will develop one in next to no time. My main purpose in Hebron was to teach teenagers Human Rights. I taught many classes but found teaching in the Al Fawwar Refugee Camp the most rewarding. Rewarding in the sense that the teenagers wanted to know more about Nelson Mandela, his life in prison and his re-conciliatory approach to his captors during the creation of the South Africa Constitution and his eventual becoming the first black South African President.

I also met many interesting NGO's and individuals that have left a mark with me. The Excellence Centre was an incredible platform to be able to deliver these lessons as well as the organising of trips to surrounding villages. As mentioned before, Palestinian people are amazing people and this notion certainly applies to the staff of the Centre.

During my stay in Hebron, I never felt in danger of my life. The citizens of Hebron however have a different experience.

I also used my time well to visit the most amazing cities in the region such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Acre, Jericho and the Dead Sea. The Holy Land is an incredible place and should be visited at least once.

I came to The Excellence Center to get a better understanding of the conflict with Israel and explore the West Bank. The experiences I got here more than lived up to my expectations.
I was at the center for one month, where I took Arabic lessons, took tours the Center gave. The tours at the Center gave an immersive experience on what it is like to live in Hebron. We took trips to the Building of Commerce, and the Municipality building in Hebron. There we learned about how the city operated to get the basic needs of their people met, and the difficulties they face trying to accomplish that.
We also visited the Al-Ibrahimi Mosque. During the tour we got to see the inside of the beautiful mosque and learn about its history. The mosque is home to the tomb of Abraham and the site of the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, that forever changed Hebron.
Going on the tours and talking to people here you get an unparallel experience on how the Israel occupation affects the Palestinian people. The occupation has affected many facets of their everyday life such as, the wall in Bethlehem completely segregating the West Bank off, to the travel restrictions, and the loss of personal freedoms.
The Arabic lessons were pact full of information that you could immediately use right after the lesson. Living in an area where Arabic is primarily spoken gives you plenty of time to practice and learn more Arabic. I learned how to read and write the numbers, letters, and many words and phrases that are useful in everyday life. My teacher for my Arabic lessons was great. He spoke very good English and was able to communicate how to properly pronounce Arabic words and give there meaning. I could ask him anything on how to say certain words or phrases or just ask him about how to get around Hebron.
My time at the excellence center was well spent. The people you meet here are amazing and each has their own story to tell. Being here was a great place to travel and to better my Arabic.

I volunteered with the Excellence Centre as a volunteer teacher for English in July for about a week! It was immensely fulfilling, especially due to the exchange of knowledge and culture between myself and my tutees, as well as the fun and supportive environment with all the other volunteers. I had three students to teach as a pair and individually, and whom I had about 2-3 lessons with each that week. They were of relatively higher level in English skill, but were still incredibly passionate and eager to learn English which made teaching them so much fun!
My host family was also a joy to get to know in my week there. I practiced the little Arabic I learnt with them, ate traditional Syrian food, and taught each other things about our countries.

My name is Maddy and I’m a 19 year old student from the USA. At university I study political science, Middle Eastern affairs, and Arabic. I participated in the Human Rights volunteer program here in Hebron, Palestine for 2 weeks, while additionally receiving Arabic lessons to help me continue improving my Arabic. I had a fantastic Arabic teacher who worked with me one-on-one several times a week, and I also was able to pick up many colloquial phrases from speaking to local Palestinians during my time here.

With the Excellence Center I was able to visit refugee camps, speak with Palestinian families living next to Israeli settlements, interview human rights activists, and learn about aspects of media and journalism in Palestine. We visited Al-Shuhada Street and the Al Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron’s Old City, which was a fascinating and eye-opening experience. Additionally I taught several workshops about the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a group of 25 students ages 14-17. The students were respectful, attentive, and eager participants. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Human Rights program and consistently found myself being challenged to hear from different perspectives. I would definitely recommend this program in particular for anyone who wants to learn more about the realities of life under occupation from Palestinians themselves.

5 days of the week I was at the Excellence Center where every morning we’d prepare a delicious traditional Palestinian breakfast. The community at the Center is extremely friendly and welcoming. There I had the opportunity to interact with international volunteers from all around the world as well as Palestinian students from local universities who came to the Center to teach Arabic or English. On my days off I was able to travel around Palestine and I went to Jerusalem as well as Bethlehem to see Banksy’s Walled Off Hotel and the artwork on the Separation Wall. Hostels and transportation here are very affordable and it is quite easy to get around between cities.

Living in Hebron definitely has been an incredible experience and has given me the chance to learn an immense amount about Palestinian culture and traditions. I absolutely loved the host family I lived with and I was always invited to join for large family meals and tea or coffee. One of my favorite things about Hebron is its hospitality and how welcoming people are, even if you just passed someone in the street. The food here is also delicious! There are many different spots to explore in Hebron and I would often go places with the Palestinians who worked at the Center. I always felt safe here and would walk some places alone during the daytime, though I did prefer to be with at least another person or a group. Generally, however, I felt no concerns during my time here over my personal safety.

Overall, I am so grateful for my experience at the Excellence Center. I have learned so much about life in Palestine and always felt welcomed by the people here in Hebron. Not only has my Arabic and knowledge of Palestinian culture improved, but the conversations I’ve had and places I’ve visited in and outside of Hebron have been extremely eye-opening. I can’t thank the Center enough for allowing me to step outside my comfort zone and be welcomed into a new community!