The Excellence Center Reviews

My name is Chelsea and I came to Palestine from the United States. I already hold a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and came to the Excellence Center to participate in an abbreviated volunteer program.

During the course of my two week stay in Hebron, I assisted with English clubs wherein a longer-standing volunteer led a group discussion on a designated topic. I was also given the opportunity to take Arabic lessons with one of the students from the Evening nglish club. Ordinarily people will do two Arabic lessons per week but my instructor was willing to meet nearly every day due to the short duration of my stay. She was an excellent teacher and toward the end of the lessons we would veer off into small talk about culture and languages.

In addition to the Arabic lessons at the Excellence Center, I stayed with a host family who also taught me a bit of Arabic. I stayed with a mother and her son, and her other son and grandchildren lived below us. I arrived to Hebron on a Wednesday and by the next night I was already traveling to Ramallah with my host family to visit more family members and enjoy Ramadan celebrations.

While immediately traveling to Ramallah and knowing very little Arabic was a bit of a culture shock, it was nice to balance that by spending time with the other volunteers. People hailed from all over the world and we all got along well, at least from what I could tell during my two weeks. It was a little difficult to feel included as the majority of them stayed in the same apartments while I was with my host family. But people made extra efforts to invite me out for dinner or coffee. And on that note, the coffee was one of my favorite parts of the trip and I plan to make it the Palestinian way when I get home.

As far as the staff at the Excellence Center goes, they are very quick and responsive. At times it seemed like there was no plan but then when I consider the fact that volunteers come and go and some only stay for a week, the staff did an excellent job of giving everyone the opportunity to see and experience all that Hebron has to offer. Additionally, my trip was during Ramadan so the atmosphere was much more laid back than normal. During my short visit, I got to visit the old city, the university, the glass factory, and the municipality. I would’ve gone to visit a refugee camp as well if I hadn’t fallen ill with a stomach bug that went around. This, however, gave my host family the opportunity to lavish me with kindness and hospitality as they made sure I got better.

For the most part I felt safe in Hebron. I would’ve felt better if I had known more Arabic. I still would not venture out on my own at night, particularly in a different city as a female foreigner, but during the day in Hebron I had no concerns.

The food in Palestine was delicious and I was fortunate to receive home cooked meals from my host family. People were very hospitable and the streets were fascinating; my personal favorite was the street art which was expressive of how people felt about the political situation. The weather was very hot during the day but the evenings were quite pleasant - though sometimes it was a bit too uncomfortably warm to sleep.

I would recommend this program to anyone who is curious about Palestinian culture or who is looking to practice Arabic. It is also good for having a better understanding of the occupation. I think for me, someone who was more curious about the culture, coming during Ramadan was a good choice. Outside of Ramadan is a more rigorous teaching and learning schedule.

My name is Maria, I am a health counselor from Austria and spent three weeks at the Excellence Center in Hebron, studying Arabic every day for three hours. I was lucky to have Scheima as my teacher and I cannot thank her enough for her professionalism and vast experience in teaching Arabic. She is an amazing teacher, who is very kind, patient and funny and I enjoyed my classes so much and profited very much from them. We talked a lot about Palestine and its traditions and customs and I was looking forward to my classes every day.
Everyone at the Center is so forth-coming and friendly and tries their best to make your stay a great experience.

I stayed with a host family, which was an amazing experience. Marwa was so generous and kind and I was welcomed like a family member by all her family. I was invited many times to dinner and got to experience different Palestinian dishes, which all tasted amazing. I was also able to practice my Arabic, as everyone was very happy to talk in Arabic with me.

The Center organized many activities and I got to visit the Old Town, the Ibrahimi Mosque, a glass blowing factory and also went on a day trip to the Dead Sea.
On my weekends, I travelled to different cities (e.g. Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem), which I enjoyed tremendously. It is one thing to read about Palestine and the Israeli occupation, but quite something else to experience it yourself and see with your own eyes the restrictions put on Palestinians.

I encourage everyone to come and visit Palestine and stay at the Excellence Center. Palestine is such a beautiful country, but what will make your stay even more special are the kind people. I never felt unsafe, especially because the people are the most warm-hearted and hospitable people I have ever met. I learned so much and improved my Arabic and cannot recommend the Excellence Center enough. I hope to come back soon- inshallah!

I was thrilled to see that the center and the experience were everything I was expecting, the family atmosphere, everyone so hospitable, but also a lot of dedication and hard work they put into developing this place. When it comes to teaching English experience, I was very happy to share a classroom with students from Syria, seeing them engage in conversations, introducing Syrian culture and sharing their German experience with me, all in perfect English, and with such will to improve. It was so rewarding to see how little of right support can go a long way, so to say. At the same time, we would all just hang out together, talking, sharing, cooking together, spending time, learning about each other, sharing our cultures, which was a very special experience! Classes are fun, creative, and as a teacher, you do have the freedom to adjust the classes to the needs of students, and their interests, which helps them so much with motivation; I was so happy to see how interested they were in speaking in English! The host family was wonderful, so hospitable, it was really special to share meals, drink tea, talk about everything, just spending time together, and see Germany in a different -through the eyes of foreigners, which was the best experience! So many cultures blending together, it was the most special experience ever!

I had been awarded a fellowship from my university to come to Halle. The trip was extremely affordable and worth-while. Halle is a very economical city and living with a homestay is ideal in terms of learning. Even without the fellowship, the trip would not have been overwhelmingly expensive like trips to European cities can be.
I found the Excellence Center through a classmate of mine at the university. As I am interested in language learning, I took it upon myself to apply to the Center and check out the times that I could come. The Center was super flexible, as I was able to come during my Spring Break while abroad in Spain. I was here for about a week, and within this week I have had so many new experiences that I did not even expect to have.
On my first full day here, I came to the Center to have a Palestinian breakfast. This was very different for what I am used to eating in the US and in Spain, but it was delicious and healthy. On this day, I also had a chance to check out the Marktplatz in Halle, which is filled with beautiful architecture, local residents, and tons of authentic German street-food. During the evening, I got to have a Syrian dinner. Trying all of the different foods was something I had the opportunity to do many times over the course of this week. This is a very unique opportunity, and the mix between German culture and many different Arabic cultures makes Halle as well as the Excellence Center a multicultural hub for interesting cuisines, music, stores, and aesthetics.
While teaching English was certainly the most challenging part of my trip, it was also the most rewarding. My first-day teaching was the hardest, as I had never really led a class by myself before. By the third day, however, I could already see my teaching abilities improving and the students seemed to be getting a lot more out of my classes. Seeing this improvement and learning about teaching was extremely gratifying.

My name is Saarah, I am from the UK and I am studying law in London
During my time at the Excellence Center I took part in many activities including talking to a legal trainee about her work in the Sharia Court and learning more about how the Islamic Law is applied to family disputes. I also visited Hebron University and spoke to the Dean of the Law College to learn more about the structure of the course and the areas the students choose to more specialize in, I also gained insight into the origins of Palestinian law and how it has been influenced by British, Jordanian and Ottoman rule. Whilst at the university I attended an arts festival and was impressed by the powerful recitation of famous Palestinian poems as well as the student's reenactments of Shakespeare and other plays and literature.
Alongside this I participated in site visits to the old city of Hebron, Fawwar refugee camp Battir Village, Jerusalem and Bethlehem. In particular I was struck by the resilience of the Palestinian people when visiting Shuahada street in Hebron and meeting a woman living in the midst of settlements who has resisted being removed from her home for almost 20 years and has had 25 stints in Israeli prison. In addition to this I spoke with volunteers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society about the work they do and their thoughts and feelings on women's rights and issues in Palestinian society.

Throughout my time in Palestine I have had regular Arabic lessons at the Excellence Center which has improved my confidence in speaking the language as well as making life living in Hebron at lot easier. I also learnt about the different dialects within Palestine as well as the different accents and colloquial ways of talking within Hebron itself. I stayed with a host family who lived close to the center and was also able to practice my Arabic with them, I particularly enjoyed eating a traditional Palestinian meal every with them every night and I will miss them a lot .

What I liked most about Palestine was the welcoming nature of all the local people including their excellent hospitality and their willingness to help out in any way they can even when it was difficult to communicate. I also liked tasting all the local food and visiting all the historical sites as well as enjoying the amazing weather during my time here and these are the reasons that I would love to visit again soon.

My name is Saarah, I am from the UK and I am studying law in London
During my time at the Excellence Center I took part in many activities including talking to a legal trainee about her work in the Sharia Court and learning more about how the Islamic Law is applied to family disputes. I also visited Hebron University and spoke to the Dean of the Law College to learn more about the structure of the course and the areas the students choose to more specialize in, I also gained insight into the origins of Palestinian law and how it has been influenced by British, Jordanian and Ottoman rule. Whilst at the university I attended an arts festival and was impressed by the powerful recitation of famous Palestinian poems as well as the student's reenactments of Shakespeare and other plays and literature.
Alongside this I participated in site visits to the old city of Hebron, Fawwar refugee camp Battir Village, Jerusalem and Bethlehem. In particular I was struck by the resilience of the Palestinian people when visiting Shuahada street in Hebron and meeting a woman living in the midst of settlements who has resisted being removed from her home for almost 20 years and has had 25 stints in Israeli prison. In addition to this I spoke with volunteers from the Palestine Red Crescent Society about the work they do and their thoughts and feelings on women's rights and issues in Palestinian society.

Throughout my time in Palestine I have had regular Arabic lessons at the Excellence Center which has improved my confidence in speaking the language as well as making life living in Hebron at lot easier. I also learnt about the different dialects within Palestine as well as the different accents and colloquial ways of talking within Hebron itself. I stayed with a host family who lived close to the center and was also able to practice my Arabic with them, I particularly enjoyed eating a traditional Palestinian meal every with them every night and I will miss them a lot .

What I liked most about Palestine was the welcoming nature of all the local people including their excellent hospitality and their willingness to help out in any way they can even when it was difficult to communicate. I also liked tasting all the local food and visiting all the historical sites as well as enjoying the amazing weather during my time here and these are the reasons that I would love to visit again soon.

My name is Sharon Cottrell, from North Carolina, USA and my experience in Palestine and at the Excellence Center has been one of an informational, educational and enjoyable experience.
In Palestine, the people have been helpful, loving, kind to all of us. Everywhere I have visited the people have helped me find what I have needed and where I needed to go. I traveled all around Hebron, and not once did anyone cause any problems for me or made me feel unsafe, this included visiting a refugee camp and the Old City of Hebron.
I visited the refugee camp and met a wonderful 90 something gentleman. He had a beautiful house and land near the sea, around 1947-48. Then Egypt and Sudan had a conflict with Israel. The Israeli soldiers surrounded this elderly man’s city and for six months, no food or supplies was able to get in or out. He stated that they were trying to force all the residence to leave their homes and land and go someplace else. They tried to stick it out, but in the end they were forced to leave to not starve. All the residence packed up what they could in cars and left toward Bethlehem. This would be a short stay as conflict would come there too and they move again to Hebron.
This elderly gentleman told us he live in tents for eight years, before they decided to built homes of stone. He stated that they had dreamed of going back to the homes and properties they once lived in, but gave those dreams up when Israel tore all the homes down. When asked what dreams he had for his children and descendants now, he replied, “just a home land that they can live in peace with everyone.” I am so happy the Excellence Center has given me the opportunity to see things first hand.
It is so easy to listen to the news and those around you, of how things they think are, but without the chance to really experiencing life here, you really cannot know. The Palestinians have had a hard life, but they do not allow themselves to be discouraged in education, life and one day having a place to truly call home. A place where they won’t have to worry about if the roads will be closed to their homes and have to drive miles to get around.
They put a lot of effect and love into making sure all their children have a chance at education. This is where Excellence Center comes into play. They allow volunteers to come and help teach English, both in the classroom and at the center. The schools allow me to come into a boy’s school and two girl schools to teach and play games of English. These children were so eager and willing to learn and show everyone just how good they could speak English. The school administration opened their doors and were eager for others to come and teach in their schools. Every school that I was invited into, made me feel like family. They brought coffee, tea and snacks in for my enjoyment, while I was visiting. It was a beautiful experience, just like the homes of my host family.
The host family that I stayed with made sure I had warm blankets on the bed, tea and coffee to drink and snacks in the refrigerator. My host had to leave for Germany, but she made sure her family came by at night to give me dinner and some company. They showed me how the Palestinians families are close knit and loving, not only to each other, but to strangers too.
Every morning I would leave the host home and catch a taxi to the Excellence Center. The taxi drivers were always helpful and kind, making sure I got to where I needed to be, without any worries. I had no fear while traveling or walking around Hebron. Upon arrival at the Excellence Center every morning, I would start off every morning with breakfast with other volunteers and staff, at the Center.
My schedule would include breakfast, then going to teach English, usually at different schools and then back to my host home. It was not all work all day though. The Excellence Center made sure I got to see some sights in Hebron, like the Glass Factory, where I found beautiful jars, bowls and trays, that had blown, fired and painted. They also took me a Loom Factory where I saw them make all kinds of materials for scarves, dresses and purses. I went to the University and was able to meet some of the professors and saw all the wonderful things, the students, were doing. The Excellence Center knows how to mix the volunteer work with going out and meeting the people and take away any of our misconceptions.
One of my misconception was that everyone would be upset with me, if I did not cover my head, since I was a woman. I was told by several women at different schools that no one would be offend. The staff made me feel relaxed and enjoy the experiences I was having. They not only work hard to make sure those want to learn English, had a chance to learn, but also made the opportunity for volunteers to learn Arabic. I truly leave with this experience deep rooted in my soul and would love to come back and reach out to those within Palestine. I will leave behind part of my heart when I leave this place. I challenge all who read this, to come see for yourself what truly is happening here and how you might help.

Our daily activities included a cross between teaching, sight-seeing, and socializing. I was brought here with the expectation to find out more about Palestinian culture and to teach. One tends to hear a lot of negative things in the news when it comes to Palestinians. And as a Pentecostal Christian I have had limited exposure to the Muslim and even less within a Muslim culture. I did not personally find religious differences offensive but more an opportunity to share, both culture and religion.

My specific teaching responsibilities were mainly focused on teaching english but also teaching technology and computer items. I was able to teach one technology class with help of my wife and a nice young lady from Sweden. We covered engligh terms for computers and technology. Many of the students were quite involved (and knowledgeable). I did not get to teach a lot of technology but we did visit Hebron PolyTech University where I made contact with staff, including the profession of technology (which I plan to follow up with soon). I also helped my wife teach english at two secondary schools for girls and one for boys. The students there were very excited to see us and asked many questions about culture and language.

We have been feeling safe all week long. We were concerned about the potential for violence with the Israeli elections this week. While we did hear a lot of noise in the distance the night before elections but there was nothing anywhere in our area and our host family was most accommodating. Earlier in the week (Sunday) we visited the cave of the patriarchs and the Ibrahimi Mosque and heard about an attack on Palestinians in 1994 and also more recent violence against Palestinians around the closed off street going into the Israeli settlement (guess violence is a two way street). Our tour went very quietly and the main concern there was probably getting out of there before the street vendors and children entrepreneurs had us spend all of our money on souvenirs!

We also got to see a glass/ceramic factory and a fabric manufacturing facility where we bought some nice souvenirs. We were able to walk around on the main streets and sight-see for ourselves and even visited a local KFC for some fried chicken, as well as do some window shopping.

Actually, the people were almost over-board on friendliness. We were invited to dinner multiple times. We shared tea and/or coffee multiple times a day. The other volunteers (who mostly spoke english) tended to bring us a bit of home life. The staff tried to teach us some arabic but we did not pick up much. When I accidentally dropped 50 shekels out of my pack later in the week at a cultural festival at PolyTech someone pointed out my drop to ensure I did not loose the money. We enjoyed the festival where I saw (mostly young) people enjoying food, culture, and technology innovations. I don’t think I saw any mad or angry faces the whole time I have been here.

Btw: Weather here in the springtime is gorgeous. Nights can be cool so dress appropriately.

My name is Monica and I am from Barcelona. Last year I finished my bachelor in criminology and now I am studying another bachelor in International Relations. Initially, I came to the Excellence Center for two weeks in order to do the Human Rights, but in the end of my volunteering I decided to prolong my stay for two more weeks.
During my volunteering I did different activities related to the Human Rights in Palestine. Basically, I made a lot of interviews with organizations that work in Hebron, some of them, for example, of which are concerned with the protection of rights of women and children. Moreover, I had the pleasure to meet and interview lawyers whom explained the situation of Palestine to me and the problems that people encounter in the law institutions. Another activity that I did during my volunteering was a workshop for children, in which I introduced the topic of Human Rights as a general idea and the right violations in Palestine in specific.
I was studying Arabic at the same time that I was doing my program, first with a teacher called Nour and then with Osama. I studied modern standard Arabic for over one year before I came to Hebron, but in Palestine I started to learn the dialect. The Arabic lessons were very useful to understand how the language works and to learn some of the most important words and sentences that you have to use during your time in Palestine. But at the same time, one of the best ways to improve your Arabic is speaking with the local people and friends. At least for me, this was the best way for me to practice the language in Hebron.
When it comes to evaluating the Center’s environment, I only can write positive things. During my whole stay in Palestine I felt like in a very big family. The staff was very grateful and kind with all the volunteers and they always took care of us. Furthermore, I have to say that since I arrived in Hebron and met the other volunteers, I felt that I have made friends for the rest of my life. We spent a lot of time together and many different experiences really formed bonds between us.
During the weeks, the other volunteers and I visited different places in Palestine. Sometimes on our own, for example Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho and Nablus. But one of the things that all of use really enjoyed were the hikes we went on every Friday. It gave us the opportunity to visit not only the biggest and most famous cities in the country, but also to get to know the wonderful countryside and nature Palestine has to offer.
Apart from that, I enjoyed the time which I spent with my host family a lot. They were always so nice with me during all the time that I was living with them. I really recommend this experience to all the volunteers, because it gives you the opportunity to really be part of the Palestinian culture and to improve your Arabic every day.
To all the people that ask themselves if Hebron is a safe place I can say that I have never been scared or afraid at any point in time in Hebron. The people are very nice and welcoming and everybody is happy to help you or spend time with you. Actually, this is what I liked most about Palestine: its people and their hospitality that makes you feel at home from the first day.
I definitely will come back to Palestine because now I can say that I really love this country. And I think that coming to the Excellence Center was one of the best decisions in my live. I have learned a lot, not only about the situation in Palestine, but I have had the opportunity to meet people that I will never forget.

I have only positive things to say about my experience with the Teach English, Study Arabic programme at the Excellence Center. This programme involved teaching about 15-20 hours a week of private English classes and general English classes for young learners. I had some fantastic students who were all eager and willing to learn and made teaching a lot of fun. We often also did outreach work, visiting local schools to teach for free, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education.

I also had three hours of studying Arabic per week, with Marwa Shantir as my teacher, which was fantastic for quickly improving my level of Arabic. The constant exposure to and immersion in the language from always being around Arabic speakers meant that I rapidly learnt new words and phrases and was able to apply them in conversational Arabic. By the end of my stay, I was able to hold basic conversations in Arabic which was a fantastic cultural experience for me.

Speaking of the culture, I found Palestine a fascinating place. The history and the current situation are present everywhere and hearing about it from the locals is very important to do. Beyond that it was nice to see some of the similarities and differences that exist in Arab and Western culture; I was lucky enough to experience a proper Palestinian wedding, which was a real highlight. The food as well was really good! We prepared meals together at The Excellence Center and had some great dinners, particularly the farewell barbeque.
The people though are what really stood out. I have made lifelong friends here both among the foreign volunteers and the Palestinian staff. The locals were always super friendly and welcoming, and we were often invited out for dinner or for an evening in another town which was a great way to see more of the country.

In terms of safety, 90% of the city is probably more safe than London where I live. However, there are clashes in certain areas, but these are very easy to avoid. You will never be placed in danger’s way by the Excellence Center. They will ensure you are not based near any of the troublesome areas and that you live with a responsible host family or in a well-situated apartment.

Thank you Excellence Center – I had a fantastic time here!!!