The Excellence Center Reviews

My name is Sophia, I am a medicine student from Switzerland and I have been learning Arabic for three years now. This year I decided to travel with my sister to an Arabic country to improve our Arabic skills especially the spoken language, therefore we both applied for the intensive Arabic program at the EC in Hebron. The first day we arrived at the center I didn’t understand anything since I had been studying standard Arabic and it was a little shock to realise how much the dialect differs from the standard language. Honestly, the first two days were hard because I felt like a child repeating every sentence I heard and I had the impression all the standard Arabic I had learned was totally useless. But after a few days I got used to the differences that turned out to be less than I had thought in the beginning. Our wonderful host family helped us a lot to become more fluent in the Khalili dialect. From the first second we felt at home in our family. We were welcomed as a real family member, spent time with our host mother, sister, brothers and their families drinking tea, cooking delicious Palestinian dishes, chatting, joking and thereby improving our Arabic more than I had thought would be possible within four weeks! We even had the opportunity to attend a Palestinian wedding. At the weekends we had time to visit other cities such as Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nablus, Ramallah or to join trips organized by the EC. Travelling was no problem since public transport exist between all the cities in Palestine and as long as one sticks to some basic safety rules, it is no problem to travel. In fact during my whole stay I have never been scared or felt unsafe. In all the places I have been to, I have met friendly and caring people who were very welcoming and willing to help when we didn’t find a place or had a problem. There was no way to get bored since we had lessons every day and apart from the lessons, the EC organized visits to local factories such as the famous Hebron glass factory or Kuffya factory and also guided tours to the old city of Hebron and the tomb of Abraham. The lessons at the center were really intense but that’s why we improved our language so fast. My Arabic teacher is a wonderful person and I enjoyed so much spending time with her talking about any subject that came to my mind. The lessons were never boring: we talked a lot about topics that I am interested in, we went out to have coffee in a coffee shop near the center, we listened to Arabic songs, read poems and short texts and so on. All the teachers at the center are really flexible and willing to adapt the style of their teaching to the individual wishes of their students.
If I think back of my stay now, the first thing that comes to my mind is the picture of me and my sister sitting on the stairs between the apartments of our families, where all our family members had gathered in the evening to prepare Mahshi (stuffed vegetables). We were sitting there, the air fresh and cool after a hot day, the guys smoking shisha, the kids playing and joking and the girls preparing zucchini, pumpkin and eggplant to be filled. It was such a lovely and warm atmosphere and it pictures so well how we got involved into the daily life of our family! I could tell a hundred stories, impressions, feelings and thoughts of my stay in Palestine but I would never be able to transmit the real feeling of being here. So the only advice I can give you: Visit Palestine!

My name is Jack and I am from the United States. I have a bachelor’s degree in political science from UCLA. I did a little over a month at the excellence center doing the human rights program. Everyday consisted of meeting with Palestinian human rights activists from all aspects of society. I met with women’s rights activists, anti-occupation activists, professors from Hebron University, members of the chamber of commerce, and many other people. I learned so much about human rights in Palestine during my stay here.

In Hebron I lived in the male apartment. It is located in the perfect location, a fifteen minute walk to the center and a 5 minute walk to the old city. The apartment is surrounded by a very nice and hospitable Palestinian family, with very nice kids of love to have fun and play soccer. I spent a lot of my time with a family that I met in the old city, and in many ways they became a host family to me as well.

The excellence center is filled with really great staff and people. Every day Osama organized extremely educational trips for us and if we wanted to see something or meet someone, Osama would help arrange it. I also learned Arabic from Doha at the center. I really enjoyed my classes with Doha. She is very sweet and smart, and during my time with her my Arabic improved greatly. I will miss her very much.

During my time in Palestine I also visited Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Haifa, and Akka, but by far my favorite city is Hebron. The people are the warmest, kindest, most generous, and strong people I have ever met. I made so many Palestinian friends here and I will cherish the memories I have with all of them. In Hebron I always felt safe. For me, even walking at night felt totally fine.

My time in Palestine has been life changing. The people I have met and experiences I’ve had have impacted me in the most positive way possible. I am very sad to leave here but I am already planning my next trip back. I would highly recommend the excellence center to anyone looking to visit Palestine. It truly is a trip of a lifetime.

My name is Nadia and I am a professor in the Humanities in the United States. I arrived at the Excellence Center in Hebron in May 2019 and stayed for two months. It was my first trip to the Middle East and I can honestly say that these two months spent in the region have been one of the most enriching time of my life. Not only did I discover a fascinating culture and an incredibly hospitable people but I also had the rare opportunity to actually share the daily life of my host family and learn Arabic at my own pace with children, guests, and all the members of this beautiful and generous family.
As a volunteer teaching English at the Excellence Center, I also met the most interesting people and made friends for life. They came from all over the world and took part in one of the many programs offered by the Excellence Center and all sharing a common interest for the region and its history. The opportunities offered by the Excellence Center include political tours and guided visits of some of the most important places in Palestine.
In fact, one of the many advantages to come to the Excellence Center as a volunteer and/or a student is that you have an anchor—a home! — from where to come and go and travel around as you please. I personally took advantage of my time in Palestine to visit Bethlehem, Nablus, and Ramallah. I also traveled to Ein Gedi, Haifa, Akko and visited Jerusalem several times. Transportation is safe, easy, and affordable. From Hebron, you can go anywhere!
However, the highlights of my stay in Palestine was my life at the Excellence Center and the remarkable students I met and their eagerness to learn. They were the most studious, respectful, and kind people I have ever met. And I have met a lot of students in my career as a professor! What I learned is that education for Palestinians is as fundamental as hospitality. And at the Excellence Center, I had the opportunity to meet genuinely kind people, spend time with them, and, maybe more importantly, learn from them.
I will come back to Palestine and the Excellence Center soon, inshallah!

At the Excellence Center, I took part in the Teach For Palestine Program and completed a Media and Communications Internship with Go Palestine. I spent the majority of my two months writing informative articles about Palestinian history, people, and culture. The goal of these articles was to increase knowledge and international interest in Palestine, and hopefully the number of foreign volunteers, interns, and tourists to the region. Additionally, I taught conversational English language classes to individuals and groups both at the Center in Hebron and in local villages. Lastly, I took introductory level Arabic courses at the Center with a native Arabic speaker. I was able to learn the Arabic alphabet and the basics of conversational Ammiya arabic. Arabic is certainly a difficult language and I would recommend that, in order to have a more fruitful experience, future volunteers begin learning the basics of Shammi Arabic and the alphabet before coming to Palestine. Doing so would make the lessons much more effective.

Outside of my responsibilities at the Center, I formed a Hebron-based collective of musicians and artists known as “Al-Khalil Arts Collective.” We hosted our first DIY community, art, and music event at the Center, which featured the work of local visual artists and showcased live musical performances. The purpose of establishing this collective was to provide local creatives and community members with an outlet for creative expression with the goal of affecting social change through events that are low-cost, replicable, and inclusive. Al-Khalil Arts Collective intends to continue hosting creative community events in Hebron in the future. Throughout the process, the staff of the Excellence Center was incredibly supportive and willing to work with me to turn my ideas into a reality.

I really enjoyed volunteering and interning at the Excellence Center in Hebron. The staff and teachers were incredibly accommodating and kind. I specifically enjoyed working with Marwa, Khitem, and Osama, who made it a priority to make me and other internationals feel comfortable, welcome, and successful at the Center. The students I taught at the Center were also very respectful, hardworking, and engaged in all of my classes. Outside of the classroom, Marwa and Khitem arrange cultural trips and dinners for volunteers and interns at the center. I highly recommend coming to the West Bank to experience the warmth, hospitality, and sense of community of the Palestinian people, as well as Khitem’s delicious home-cooking. Iktir zekki!

Furthermore, living with the other male volunteers in the Sheikh Abed residence was one of the highlights of my trip. Not only did I become close with all of the other international volunteers, I was also able to develop long-lasting relationships with Sheikh, his children, and the rest of the Hijazi family. Sheikh is an incredibly warm-hearted, caring, and funny man who really loves hosting internationals, sharing his experiences, and planning various events for the volunteers. From family BBQs to nights playing football in Dura, Sheikh and his family took me in as one of their own and truly made my experience in Palestine memorable.

Lastly, I want to add a note about safety and security in Palestine. When I first decided to volunteer and intern in the West Bank, many of my friends, family, and acquaintances raised concerns about my personal safety—believing that I had signed-up to enter a war zone. These concerns were largely based in misinformation, preconceived notions, and ignorance about the region and conflict, perpetuated by sensationalist, fear-based Western media outlets. In reality, the two months I spent living and volunteering in the West Bank were incredibly safe and could not have been further from their expectations. On a daily basis, I was welcomed with open arms by Palestinians eager to share more about their history, culture, and experiences—Palestinians hoping to both alter the narrative told by foreigners and influence international perceptions of Palestine and its people. While I entered Palestine with an open mind, the hospitality and kindness that I experienced on behalf of the Palestinian people exceeded that of all the other countries I have had the privilege of traveling through. My experience volunteering and interning in the West Bank was remarkably positive and reaffirmed my belief that people are people and we are all far more similar than we are different. I urge you to turn off your television sets and come to Palestine to form your own opinions. You will be all the better for it!

Hi, my name is Eilidh and I am from Scotland. I participated in the intensive study Arabic program at the Excellence Centre for a month in July, 2019. I choose to come to Hebron after two university friends recommended the program to me. I have just finished my third year at university studying Arabic and International Relations, so I have a background in formal Arabic. However, this is pretty useless in terms of communicating with people on a daily basis, so I’d say that the opportunity to learn the Palestinian dialect was my main motivation for participating in the program.
I had a total of 20 days of lessons over the four weeks, normally between Sunday and Thursday with a total of 3 hours of lessons per day. While some people had lessons in the morning I had mine from 12pm – 3pm, which I preferred as it allowed me time before and after class to study as well as more flexibility in my other plans, such as going to the gym or participating in the Excellence Centre run trips which normally began at 1030. The teachers are absolutely wonderful and very flexible, so if you were running late or wanted to do a trip on Thursday for example, I was able to change my lessons to a Saturday. The structure of the lessons was pretty informal, but overall, we covered basic grammar, day to day vocab and customs and traditions in Palestine. I also felt like 3 hours of lessons was enough for one day and I am glad I choose this program as opposed to one in Lebanon which offered 6 hours of classes a day.
I participated in a few of the centre run trips, such as a visit to the Hebron glass and ceramics factory, the Royal factory, and in particular the Ibrahimi mosque with one of the teachers who grew up in a neighbourhood next to the mosque. I found these trips a great way to get to know Hebron on a deeper level, and would recommend them to anyone. I also did a hiking trip to a wadi near Jericho which cost 60 shekels (although a little expensive for just transport), it was something I would have struggled to do by myself and also had the chance to see more of this beautiful country.
I found everyone at the centre (teachers, students, volunteers etc) generally to be lovely and from all of the world, which made conversations really interesting and fun.
It is important to mention that Hebron as a city is very socially and religiously conservative compared to the rest of Palestine. There is very little tourism, which can make you feel a little out of place as a foreigner. If you have travelled to morocco or Egypt before then you will hardly notice the attention in comparison, however, if this is your first visit to an Arab country then the attention and sometimes harassment can be a little overwhelming. Despite this, I found the people of Hebron, generally to be very welcoming and helpful in particular, Marwa and the teachers at the centre.
I unfortunately moved host families as my first family was on the edge of town and I was initially sleeping on a mattress on the floor. They were lovely people and always gave me food but the location meant that I had to rely on lifts from my host mum and as I was there for a month, I wanted more freedom. My second host family was fortunately only a 25 min walk and getting a taxi was very easy, however, they were busy so I hardly saw them. This meant I had a very different experience to some of the other students/ volunteers. This was simply because there were so many volunteers that month so it was hard to find host families, however Marwa was really understanding when I asked to move.
I visited the main cities in Palestine, except the dead sea. Bethlehem is only 45 mins away by servees (shared taxi) and you only really need 3 hours to see the main sites. I often passed through it on my way to Jerusalem. I’d recommend at least three days in Jerusalem because there’s so much to see and I’d recommend sandemans free tour around the old city. Ramallah is a pretty modern city with the best bars etc in Palestine and I’d strongly recommend visiting the Yasser Arafat museum.
The weather in Hebron in July is much more pleasant than elsewhere in Palestine, and the food is also amazing, with vegetarian options almost always available. Overall I enjoyed my time at the excellence centre massively, however, it wasn’t always an easy experience for a variety of reasons. I would mainly advise being aware that there is no public transport in Israel between 4pm – Friday to 7pm Saturday and that many things are closed in Palestine on Fridays. I’d therefore advise planning your trip as much as possible and doing thorough research. I also lost my purse with 300 shekels in a taxi in Hebron which, of course, I never got back. The days can be pretty tiring so I’d make sure you always know where your valuables are.
I would definitely recommend studying at the Excellence centre for the overall experience, as I feel I am leaving Palestine with an invaluable holistic view of the country and history. While there are cheaper studying programs in Lebanon for example, I’m glad I came to the EC and don’t regret it at all.

My name is Sam and I am from the United States. I spent two months this summer in Palestine at the Excellence Center partaking in the Teach English Study Arabic program. My daily activities consisted of leading classes in a local village, assisting an Arabic teacher at the New Center in Hebron, studying and practicing Arabic in personal lessons, and writing an occasional article for the Center’s website.
My time as a teacher and teacher’s assistant in Hebron was certainly the most rewarding experience over the course of these two months. I was given a great range of liberty to construct my classes to best suit my style and the needs of the students, and the strong relationships I made with the students created an extremely engaging and productive atmosphere. The students that come to the Center are eager to learn, and the successes found in these lessons are due to their diligence and motivation that they bring everyday. The conversationally-based lessons and diverse curriculum at the Excellence Center have been developed through the introduction and adaptation of ideas from volunteers all over the world, making it a stand-out institution within Hebron.
My experience with my Arabic lessons were equally as positive. Three times per week for a duration of one hour, I had personal Arabic conversation lessons with Marwa, who came everyday with new and engaging exercises that kept things interesting and challenging all at the same time. It was sometimes difficult to balance the coursework from the lessons with the preparation needed for my teaching obligations, but Marwa and the entire staff are beyond understanding and make sure you are working at a fair pace. Through the lessons and constant conversation with the staff and local Palestinians, I feel far more confident, speaking with near-fluency with native speakers. The main focus of the lessons were to develop listening and speaking skills while gaining a far more robust set of vocabulary. I am beyond grateful for my lessons with Marwa and the opportunity to engage in conversations with the open and welcoming staff.
The environment of the Center is truly one of a kind. Within a matter of a few days you truly feel like family with the Palestinian staff and international volunteers. The Arab-influenced sense of community and diverse mix of international cultures blends together to create a unique environment that I’ve never experienced before. I have made relationships here with volunteers, staff, and local people that will last a lifetime, and I am already planning my next stay at the Excellence Center. If you are considering a place in the Middle East to study, intern, or visit to learn Arabic, work with eager and underrepresented people, or experience a lovely, rich culture and society, the Excellence Center is the perfect place to go. I had high hopes about how my time would be here in Hebron, and in every way my experience was better than I could have imagined. Thank you to the Excellence Center and lovely people of Hebron.

I am Miet, I am 29 years old. I live in Belgium where I teach Dutch to low-literate adults. I really wanted to experience the feeling of learning a totally different language in a foreign country. That’s why I decided to come to the Hebron Excellence Center to study Arabic. At this moment, in the last week of my month here, I can only say that coming here was a great decision.

I am participating in the ‘study Arabic in Palestine’ - program. Everyday I have 3 hours of individual Arabic lessons with Bisan, an amazing teacher. I was a complete beginner. I couldn’t write or read and I couldn’t say more than ‘shukran’ and ‘marhaba’. From my own experience I know that teaching the beginners can be hard and it requires some good teaching skills. And I can only say that my teacher has it all: not only great teaching skills but she is also really funny and so encouraging. I am so grateful that she is my teacher. Not only because I am happy that she taught me the basics in Arabic but also because I have learned a lot of things that I can use when I go back to my own class in Belgium.

Staying in the Hebron Excellence Center is not only about learning Arabic. The staff also organizes a lot of activities. During my stay I participated in some small excursions like visiting the Ibrahimi Mosque in the old town, the Koffiya-factory and the glass-factory. I was really touched by our visit to Susiya, a Bedouinvillage in the neighbourhood. We had the opportunity to talk with some people there to learn more about their daily struggle against Israeli occupation. Every day we have breakfast in the center with all the volunteers and students and we also cooked together for a couple of times. We also went on a trip to Akko and the beach with a whole bus full of staff, their families, volunteers and students. What a great experience. During the first weeks of my stay there was a summer camp for children in the center. It was nice that I could also help with some teaching for a couple of days. The staff is not only good in organizing things, but they are also here for us all the time; for a quick chat or to check up if everything is okay. I think that is why the Center really feels like a safe space.

Spending my days in and around the Center is great. But I can’t find enough words to say how grateful I am that I can go home to my host family every day. I stayed in a family with two young kids, who gave me their room for the month, so that I could have my own little space. Although I couldn't speak any Arabic in the beginning and their English was also very limited, we found our way to communicate. The basic rule during my stay was: ‘our home is your home’. They showed their hospitality by giving me the best food in the world (and really a lot of it), by introducing me to the whole family and to take me to special places like the Dead See. But the most special thing is that I am staying in their home in a really intense period. My host ‘mom’ is really pregnant. Each moment now she can have her baby and I will probably still be here when it will happen. In Belgium women at the end of their pregnancy would never host ‘strangers’. That’s why at first I felt a bit like an intruder at such a special moment. But each day it became more clear to me that she really is looking forward to share that moment with me. So now I am really looking forward to it and I feel really honoured that I can be a part of their family on such a special moment.

After my stay in the center I will be travelling around for 3 more weeks in Jordan and the Westbank. I have got a lot of good travel advice from other volunteers, the staff, my host family and all the other people I have met. Leaving here gives me some really mixed feelings. I am looking forward to use the things I have learned here in my own job, to talk Arabic with my students and to share the beauty of Palestine with my friends and family. But I also know that I will really miss Hebron, its food, the nice atmosphere and the amazing people. I am sad that I have to leave the center and my wonderful host family. But the thought that I will come back, sooner or later, eases the pain.

I spent two weeks at the Excellence Center assisting with English lessons and taking Arabic classes. I really can't recommend it highly enough, Hebron is a vibrant, welcoming and safe city and the Palestinian people offer fantastic hospitality. The Palestinian teachers here are great and the students are really keen to learn. I feel so grateful to have had this experience and met such interesting people. The Excellence Center really looks after you and arranges your accommodation. They offer morning excursions to local points of interest (e.g. the Ibrahimi mosque, Hebron University etc) and the whole atmosphere of the place is very welcoming. I felt useful and productive the whole time. I would highly recommend volunteering here and will definitely return!

I spent 3 weeks in Hebron volunteering as an english teacher in a village around Hebron. It was a very nice experience and the children are happy to meet international people. I enjoyed exchanging with the Palestinian, they are really welcoming and warmful . I also had the opportunity to learn the Palestinian dialect. The staff at the excellence center is really helpful and supporting. Palestine is a really great place to volunteer, I definitely recommend it. regarding the safety, i had absolutely no issues. I am travelling alone and i never had any concern when travelling in Palestine and Hebron is a safe place, people are really respectful and will do anything to help you. I hope i will find the opportunity to come back at the center and in Palestine in general.

My name is Michael, I'm from Canada, and I volunteered for two months at The Excellence Center in Hebron. There are many experiences I can talk about in regards to my stay in Palestine; the people, the food, the cities, teaching English and learning Arabic. It is impossible to truly write down every detail, as one has to come here to truly see it for themself.

The cities in Palestine are some of the most beautiful cities in the world. Seeing the wall surrounding Bethlehem, and all the artwork that the palestinian people have painted on it was truly humbling. And visiting all the beautiful museums in Jerusalem, as well as the market and old city. One cannot see all of Jerusalem in a day.

Working at The Excellence Center never felt like work. As a volunteer English teacher, you will have tasks such as teaching classes, teaching one on one, giving oral examinations, or travelling to local villages around Hebron and teaching a bunch of a wonderful, smiling students. In fact, teaching at the local village of Dora was the highlight of my teaching experience in Palestine. The children were eager to learn, easy to laugh, and full of questions and wonder. It was truly a blessing to have been able to meet them. As for Arabic, every one of the Arabic teachers at the Excellence Center are wonderful. They are all filled with warmth and kindness, and they clearly love meeting and teaching people from all over the world.

The best part of Palestine is not the food, or the sweets, or the weather or the history; it is the people. I cannot count how many invites I received from the generous people of Palestine. Offering free food, free coffee, free rides; inviting me into their homes and treating me like family. It was such a wonderful thing to see how much the Palestinian people love foreigners. How much they love giving. And from this mountain of kindness, there are a few who stood even further above the rest. They have touched my heart deeply, and because of this, I will have no choice but to return again, and again; just to see them again.

It was a beautiful and amazing journey, to have known Palestine the way I have. You must come to Palestine. There is nowhere else that compares.