The Excellence Center Reviews

I spent almost two weeks in Hebron on February 2018, and my experience in the Excellence Center was everything I was hoping for and more. Through the Excellence Center and it’s wonderful staff I was able to do everything I wanted to do during my stay, finding the perfect combination of volunteer work and cultural and social activities. I volunteered as an English teacher and did classes to different groups (children, university students and adults), who I could see were genuinely motivated to learn, and truly happy and thankful to have me there. On the other hand, I really enjoyed being immersed in the Palestinian culture, which is so warm and welcoming. I was impressed by how friendly was everyone I met, ready to offer help and excited to engage in conversation. I always felt safe in Hebron, and would recommend everyone to visit the West Bank . It was amazing to stay with a host family and experience Palestinian hospitality from up close, visiting refugee camps and other cities in the West Bank, getting to learn the basics of Arabic, enjoying the typical food and just talking to people and getting to know the daily life in Hebron and the traditions, motivations and struggles of the locals. Overall, I think every aspect of my visit to Palestine was great, and I feel very fortunate I had this wonderful opportunity through the Excellence Center. I definitely recommend this experience and plan to go back for a longer period of time.

I was at the Excellence Center for most of the month of March 2018. At 69 I must have been one of their older volunteers, but age was never an issue. I took the opportunity offered by the Excellence Center to be immersed in a different culture because I have grown increasingly concerned about the issues faced by the Palestinian people. The Excellence Center does not address that per se, but believe me one learns plenty just by being there.
I never felt unsafe; in fact all Palestinians were quite friendly (this is not true of most of the Israelis I encountered). For example I took a taxi out to the natural area near Hebron (Wadi al-Quff) to study and enjoy the plants there, and by the time the 25 minute ride was over the taxi driver had invited me to his house for a meal and given me a children's book that himself had written and illustrated. That level of friendliness is not unusual.
I was interested in and concerned about the situation in the village of Nabi Saleh, where the Tamimi family lives. You may know some of their story: Ahed Tamimi just completed 8 months in prison for trying to get Israeli soldiers out of her front yard. I was completely free to travel, and thus went to Nabi Saleh (2 hours from Hebron) twice and spent several hours with Bassem Tamimi, Ahed's father.
If you want an education about the real world it is ready and waiting for you in Palestine, through the Excellence Center.

At the Center I facilitated workshops in human rights, with a particular focus on women's rights. The Center organised the sessions and the staff took an active part in the discussions as well as helping out with translations when needed. As part of the volunteering program, I had a couple of Arabic lessons per week and everyone I met was willing and eager to engage in unofficial lectures. To live with a host family also gave me an opportunity to practice my Arabic skills when I was not at the Center.

Living with a host family I believe gave me a completely different experience. Not only did I make new friends, but I also got to take part in the Palestinian culture. We shared experiences and learned from each other. I am very humbled to the way I was welcomed into my host family and their expended family. Most of the Palestinians I met were like this, open, warm and inviting. Connecting you with family and friends in other cities so I had someone to show me around when I made my way there.

Thinking of my experience during my time in Hebron it felt as though I was there for longer than two weeks. Between workshops and Arabic lessons, the Center organised field visits to local textile, ceramic and glass factories. I also visited the old town of Hebron, the Ibrahimi Mosque, the Russian Compound Church, Hebron University, a local radio station as well as a refugee camp in south of Hebron. Always accompanied by someone from the Center or by a local Hebron person who shared their knowledge and experience. On my own and with other international volunteers I also visited other cities in Palestine, such as Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem and Jericho. Even though I organised these trips myself the staff at the Center helped with the logistics and giving recommendations on sites to visit.

I truly felt, what I believe was one of the most frequent sentences during my time in Palestine, “Welcome to Palestine”.

My name is Inès, i have 21 years old. I’m from France and i live in Paris. I’m studying political Sciences at La Sorbonne University in Paris, 3 rd year of bachelor. I came to the Excellence Center to make the Human Rights program as volunteer.
Thanks to the center i have made a lot of different activites. I was an assistant in some English classes, which was a very interesting experience. Students are very interested by foreigners, which makes dialogue easy. I also gave a class on human rights, a class of more than 20 students ! It wasn’t easy, and i found it quite stressful, but it was really a good experience. I learn a lot from their point of view, and we were able to talk about the conflict.
I also had arabic lessons. I really loved take this courses and I feel like I really learned a lot. The advantage of being in a host family is that you can practice every day. My teacher Ahlam is very nice and i enjoyed spending time with her. I regret not being able to do more Arabic lessons to improve myself.
Thanks to the Center, I visited a lot of interesting places in the city of Hebron. For example, i have seen the Camel Sandals factory, It's an fascinating place to visit, and the products are good qualities. I have found a gift for my mother, a beautiful bag !
I have also visited the United Nations center, which was really a good experience. I thought access would be more complicated, but in reality, they are very happy to share with us their activities. I also met the Palestinian family planning and protection association, which was really the best thing because i’m looking for an internship their in link with my studies and they are very accessible. I have also visited the refugees camp of Bethlehem called Aida, and the Russian orthodox church in Hebron, which was a really nice place to see.
In Palestine, i go to Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem, but also Haïfa and Akka.
I have really enjoyed my time in Hebron and with my host family. They were so nice to me. I have never felt uncomfortable, and always in my place. I enjoyed discovering a culture like this. I hope to see them again very quickly. Palestinian are very kind, and love strangers ! it is very easy to discuss with them because they come talk to us directly.
Most of the time i felt safe in Palestine. In fact, the only times it was not the case was when I met Israeli soldiers.
I liked to discover the culture of Palestine and its history. Talking with locals was my favorite thing. Culinary discovery is, according to me, a part of culture here. I loved testing all the new things that were available to me !
I think my best experience was my visit to the city of Jerusalem. I went alone as an adventurer, and I really found this city, especially the old city, unbelievable. The mixture of cultures and religions, the holy places ... really a very good experience. I have also tested the Turkish baths of Ramallah, it is to do !
I keep a very good impression of Palestine and its people. Everything is very positive for me, and of course i recommand this experience for others. it is a very good way to discover the country as close as possible to its people, and to know a little more every day. I enjoyed also be with internationals students, it's an opportunity to spend time with people from all over the world.

Shoukran Ktir

Hello, I am a second-year university student from the United States. At university, I study Arabic and I have always hoped of becoming involved in the refugee crisis. Therefore, when I found the Excellence Center program that offered me the opportunity to improve my language skills and tutor refugees, I could not resist coming to Halle.

From the moment I arrived in Halle, the workers and students at the Excellence Center have been more than welcoming. I was greeted at the train station by one of my students, who always has a smile on his face, and he took me to the center to meet Rafat. Rafat, the manager of the Excellence Center, has been incredible by organizing activities within Halle and making sure I feel as at home as possible while here.

Although I have had little experience in tutoring English, Rafat gave me a few guidelines on how to effectively tutor. The welcoming environment of the Excellence Center has made tutoring easier and not stressful. The most rewarding part of volunteering at the Excellence Center is the opportunity to meet so many people and hear each one of their stories. Each student that I have taught is resilient and has a passion to learn the English language. I have a lot of admiration for every individual I have met during my time at the Excellence Center.

As most would be, I was nervous about staying with a host family, but my host family welcomed me with open arms. Since I am a beginner at the Arabic language, and my host mom is a beginner in English, communication took a lot of effort, but communication was able to be accomplished. From making signals and noises, we were able to make our points, and being immersed in the Arabic language was a beneficial experience for me. Also, my host family introduced me to their other family members that live in Halle, as well as their friends. At night, we would even go walking around the center of Halle together.

Another incredible experience I was able to have while volunteering at the Excellence Center was meeting another family and going to their house for a home visit. There, the family graciously offered me sweets, bread, chicken, coffee, and anything else within their home that they could. As we sat together on their home sofa, they shared with me about how much they love Damascus, how they miss their real home, and showed me pictures of the city of Damascus too. Being able to hear their life stories and their dreams for the future was astonishing.

I am extremely grateful that I have had the opportunity to work at the Excellence Center in Halle, met the incredible people who work and come to the center, that I have improved my Arabic skills, and been able to hear the stories of the people at the Excellence Center. In the future, I hope to come back to the Excellence Center and continue to tutor and visit with some of the students I had the opportunity to meet this year.

My name is Meg and I am a registered nurse in the United States of America. I came to the Excellence Center to learn Arabic and volunteer teaching workshops to nursing students. Volunteering at the Excellence Center has been an amazing and unforgettable experience. During my time volunteering at the center I developed and facilitated workshops related to ethics in healthcare, communication skills, medical terminology, patient education, and disease prevention. I made so many friends at the center and frequently went exploring Hebron with the amazing students.
The staff at the Excellence Center are so warm and welcoming. Every morning I would come eat breakfast with the staff and other volunteers at the center before beginning my day of volunteering and/or exploring. In addition to the wonderful experience I had teaching the students, I also had an excellent experience learning Arabic. My teacher was incredibly knowledgeable, truly loved teaching Arabic, and was always available to help me with translation or pronunciation, even if I wasn’t at the center. Additionally, Hebron is a great place to practice your Arabic with the locals and people are always willing to help you learn words or correct your pronunciation. My Arabic teacher explained the basics to me in a way that was easy to understand and he made the lessons fun! I volunteered at the center for two weeks but feel like I learned so much in such a short amount of time! I thoroughly enjoyed learning Arabic at the center and I hope to continue my studies when I return home.
In addition to exploring the wonderful city of Hebron on my own, a local volunteer took me to the old town, Al-Ibrahimi mosque, the best falafel shop in town, the only remaining kufiyeh factory in the West Bank, multiple bookstores, and also set me up with locals in other West Bank towns to provide me with guided tours (an excellent way to explore cities in the West Bank!). During my time in Palestine I explored Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Jericho, and even got a chance to float in the Dead Sea!
Staying with a host family was another wonderful experience. My host family lived in Halhul, about a 10-minute taxi ride or a 45-minute walk to the Excellence Center. My family made me feel right at home. They fed me dinner every night and made sure I had everything that I needed to be comfortable during my stay. I was able to try delicious authentic Palestinian dishes like maqloubeh and knafeh! Furthermore, there is no need at all to worry about your safety in Palestine because it is incredibly safe here. Not once have I felt concerned, threatened, or unsafe. This is my second visit to Palestine alone and definitely not the last! Palestine is by far one of the safest places I have ever traveled to!
Palestine is such a beautiful country and the people will go out of their way to make you feel welcome and comfortable. Palestine does not just have amazing people—it has incredible food as well!! The sights and smells of walking down the street or through the souk are unforgettable. People’s generosity is apparent everywhere you go, just like the Arabic coffee! I will miss so many things about Palestine, but I will miss the people more than anything. If you want an authentic Palestinian experience, and an amazing way to connect with the young people of Palestine, then you should volunteer at the Excellence Center! I will definitely be back to Palestine soon, and would never pass up a chance to visit Hebron and its amazing people!

This internship included a number of tasks and experiences that gave me extraordinary educational and professional development. As an intern I would be dually focused on teaching English to clients of the Excellence Center but that I would also be taking Arabic classes. For the first week and a half I was only doing trips and tours, walking around with a teacher named Isaac, who guided us through a lot of the more famous parts of Hebron. I began intensive Arabic classes, starting at 8:30 am in the morning until around noon, then I help out with any of the English classes going on at the moment. The internship brought me into a world that cultivated lifelong friendships, provided professional skills, and provoked a desire to return to that region and work there.

I spent July of 2018 volunteering at the Excellence Center as an English teacher - and it was the best experience ever. Most of us had 2-3 classes a day (max 4, but that was when a lot of people took an extra day off) - I always finished no later than 5 pm (usually 2 or 4 pm).

As for Arabic classes: I already have quite a good grasp of MSA but didn't know any dialect at all. By the end of the month, I was thinking in dialectal Arabic. My teacher was the wonderful Marwa Shantir, who always made sure I got my 3 hours a week - although some other volunteers did have a little trouble. As long as you remind the teachers at the centre about your lessons, you'll receive all of them.

As a female, I lived with a host family, and I can honestly say that I had never experienced such hospitality before. I felt very welcome and almost pampered - I had to convince them to let me wash the dishes at least :) Also, living with a host family means that you get to practice Arabic every waking moment of the day. Marwa regularly checked in with me to find out if I was okay, and openly told me on the very first day that if I don't feel comfortable - no matter the reason - I could move to live with a different family. So don't be scared about that.

Finally, safety. As a solo female traveller, I was a little concerned - but there wasn't any reason to be. Everyone was happy to help me and looked out for me. Obviously, you should still use common sense, there are treacherous people everywhere - but nothing out of the ordinary.

I travelled to Palestine alone with no arabic experience. I have travelled alot, but not alone like this before, I was excited and also a little bit terrified of traveling alone in a different country. At the Excellence Center they where very welcomming and since the center is small it was easy to get to know both the teachers and other international students. At the center I got private arabic classes, and that was good for my learning, since the teaching went forward in my own pace. I learned a lot in two weeks, but wished i could have stayed longer. After two weeks it was really sad leaving as I have just started to get to know the people at the excellence center and also my hostfamily better.
The picture I have added is a picture of me wearing a Palestinian dress my hostmom helped me pick out.

I spent two months in Hebron teaching English and learning Arabic. I have had an amazing time here. My host family and the people at the Excellence Center have made an effort to make me feel as welcome as possible. They have taught me so much about the culture, language and history of the country.

The program was also very flexible, meaning that I have been able to see a lot more of the country and region.

I am so happy to have had this experience in Hebron and I hope to come back soon!