The Excellence Center Reviews

My name is Emmy and I am a 20 year-old Science of Religion student. I am orginately from Amsterdam, Holland and this is my experience as a volunteer in Palestine.
The moment I decided to participate in The Excellence Center project of volunteering I didn’t realise where I was going. The only news we heard in Europe about Palestine was dramatic; a war zone that was difficult to access and habited by terrorists.
The reason for me to take part in this project was that I already had a certain opinion about the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian population. My studies leadme to analyse the situation. Also I havealways been repulsed by what the Jewish people had to face during the Second World War. Not necessarily because I chose a side, but because it was a reality of disrespecting the human condition. The situation of the Palestinians is easily comparable to the past of the Jews in the way that they are treated in daily life.
The truth is far from what I was expecting it to be. I was expecting a country in continuous pain, where the habitants were locked up in their houses and where life has essentially stopped. Actually what I saw in Palestine was an incomparable sense of hospitality which I have never experienced before. The family who was hosting me, their family, friends and staff member welcomed me warmly.
I tasted the most flavorful dishes, fruits and vegetables. I was also mesmerised by the parties for graduations and birthdays where good food and laughter were shared. The Arabic music and dancequickly became one of my favourite parts of the culture.
But the reason of my stay in Palestine was mostly to teach English at the Excellence Center. I can assure that I learned much more from my students than the other way around. The struggle to succeed and to use their studies in real life inspired me. I realised how lucky I was with my freedom and to have the constant opportunity to choose. Not only as a young adult but also as a woman. Thanks to my students, this life experience hastaught me how to appreciate what I have and to enjoy the moment.
Before coming to the Excellence Center I had no experience whatsoever in teaching nor pedagogical activities. I honestly was nervous on my first day beacause I thought, “Wait a minute. This is not for me. I cannot do this”. But I also learned that making mistakes doesn’t mean to fail, but to put a step forward because you give yourself the opputunity to improve. Teaching at the Excellence Center was a great experience. What I liked the most was the interaction and contact with the students. Also, being a member of a mixed team composed of Palestinians and international English teachers and Arabic students created a comfortable environment.
It would be a lie to say that my whole stay was only filled with fun, happiness and laughter. The harsh reality of Palestinian discrimination and the Israeli occupation hit me multiple times in the face. The injustice procured me several times, if not all the time, with the feeling of frustration.
This was, and still is, the truth of Palestinian people for me. The occupation, the violence, the humiliation, and the suffering, which are all compensated with so much happiness to be alive, and with enjoying their families and everything that life has to offer.
Palestine was my first trip to the Middle East, and in fact also my first trip out of Europe. I feel that I have matured greatly and gained so much life experience. This journey defintely gave me the Middle Eastern fever and most of all the Palestinian fever. I hope to come back soon to Palestine where I’ve met incredible people and maybe “Insh’Allah” as they say here, the bordering countries.

I wanted an opportunity for an intensive improvement of my qolloquial Arabic language, and this was the perfect fit. With daily classes and endless possibilities of practising conversation at the center, social gatherings and with my host, this was what I was looking for. The centre has a lively and fun atmosphere, with foreigners studying or volunteering, and the staff is friendly and fun. The classes are one to one, so the teaching and topics are tailored to your wishes and interests. I, for example had less interest in writing and more in speaking and expanding vocabulary.
With intensive classes, accomodation and social arrangements as well as good people, the centre did provide the full package one needed for a stay without other connections.
The centre arranges optional tours which are great for learning about the situation of daily, though normalised, occupation, even if your stay is short.
No city in the West Bank is alike, and with Hebron in the more conservative end, one should take time to visit other cities as well.

I've been studying Arabic at the Excellence Center for three weeks this summer, and I've loved every second of it. I had private lessons, and my teacher has been so, so kind and proficient. I knew some arbic before i came to Palestine, and my teacher has been very good at adapting the lessons and corriculum to my level and needs. During my stay, I've been living with a wonderfull host family. They have been so kind, and they are almost like my second family. The Excellence Center has not only provided arabic lessons, but also many trips in and around Hebron. We've learned lot about how people in Palestine live their lives, about their traditions and of course also about the Palestinan-Israeli conflict. I would really recomend studying Arabic at the Excellence Center, not only will you learn a new language, but also gain a lot of experiences which you will never forget.

I have just completed one month studying Arabic at the Excellence center in Hebron. The whole experience has been great. My teacher was incredibly patient and encouraging. And i am really happy with the amount and speed at which i have learnt in both conversational as well as reading and writing.I had lessons in the morning leaving me time to explore the city and the west bank in evenings and weekends. The staff are really flexible and accommodating. During my stay here i was able to immerse my self in the local culture and learn a lot about life in Palestine which was as important to me as the academic side. The people of Hebron are overwhelmingly generous and friendly making my stay here a wonderful experience.

Studying Arabic in Palestine was an amazing experience. I came here not knowing any Arabic as a complete beginner. As i'm leaving I can read, write and speak a fair amount of Arabic in a confident manner. The staff at the Excellence Center were more like a supportive family and this environment helped a great deal with the progression of my learning. As for the city Hebron, it is one of the friendliest and safest places I have ever stayed in. To anybody wanting to learn Arabic in Palestine, I have to recommend the Excellence Center

The program was great, teachers are very friendly and you feel like at home. It is very complete. I had courses in the morning and activities in the afternoon. You can also get free time to have your own activities.
A very complete program to get to know local life. Everything is kindly supervised from arrival until the departure.

I stayed at excellence center nearly two months in summer 2014, I came across that school by accident while still in France. Everything happened so fast and a few days latter I was in Hebron. My staying at excellence center turned out to be fantastic experience. With the one to one courses, and the very helpfull staff surrunding you at all time, you are ensured to improve your arabic skills. If you want to discover Palestine, and especially its people, I definitely recommend excellence center.

If you want to learn arabic outside of an NGO, and in one of the most interesting thought provoking situations in the world, look no further than excellence centre. I spent summer 2014 with them, and they are humble and grounded people who care about your learning. They are not there to hide the challenges in Khallil, but they allow you a way to feel hosted in a city that might otherwise be inaccesible. The teaching is great, the integrity is there and your money is going to a good place. You will stay with a family who will be curious to meet you ... And the rest is down to you

I was a little hesitant what I would be doing, and if I would like it or not before coming at the Excellence Center. To be honest, I was a little hesitant the first few days I arrived. I think the first time I truly felt at home was the first time (or I guess the second) I met with one of my classes. Most of them struggled with pronouncing, "Danielle" but that didn't stop them from the warm greetings I received. I think the same thing can be said for my host family. I only stayed with them for two weeks, but only a few days in we all realized two weeks would be far too short for all of us.

I studied Arabic for 3 years in college, but I think the few weeks that I stayed in Hebron drastically improved my language skills. I had never had the opportunity to speak with so many native Arabic speakers, especially in the Levantine dialect.

I think the best part of my experience was learning so much about Hebron, Palestine and the Occupation. It's very different to hear over the news about the events in the West Bank versus actually being here. You not only see but feel the Occupation and how it manifests itself in everyday life.

The Center took us to Fwaar Refugee Camp and we had the opportunity to see how the camp is run by the UN and all of the atrocities that have happened there. Again, it takes a while to truly comprehend what is happening here, but it's enough to want to tell every person who know.

There was so much learning for me the entire time, and it's been an experience that I wanted to be longer.

I just completed a short term as an English-teaching volunteer in Hebron, Palestine, and I am already making plans to return. The experience was eye-opening and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was able to encounter the political situation in a very personal way both through interactions with the Israeli army alongside my Palestinian hosts, and by living with the locals. I was also able to practice my Arabic speaking skills, learn a bit of the local dialect, and learn just how challenging it is to teach someone a new language (something I hadn’t sufficiently appreciated before).

A bit about me: I am a native of Houston, Texas; I graduated two years ago from the University of Houston with a Bachelor’s in Mathematics; and I currently work as a consultant in the Dubai International Financial Centre. To be completely honest, I stumbled across the Excellence Center through a Google search while trying to find something to do for my two week vacation. I had studied Modern Standard Arabic in my university for two years, and I wanted an opportunity to practice a local Arabic dialect.

Upon arriving at the Excellence Center, Marwa, Osama, and the rest of their excellent staff ensured that I was well-accommodated with my host family. They checked that all the essential living amenities were available at the house, and ensured that I was comfortable with how to get to the center in the mornings – even taking me through a trial run from my house to the Center so I knew exactly how to navigate the taxi system (it’s a bit different) and exactly how much I should pay the drivers.

Because my term was only two weeks, I worked mostly as a teaching assistant to the formally employed English instructors, and as a substitute teacher when needed. People always say that the best way to learn about something is to teach it, and I learned this truly is the case. There is an accommodation one must make when teaching one’s native language to a non-native speaker, and I found it surprisingly challenging to explain why, for example, we say, “The four year old boy eats food,” while we also say, “The boy is four years old.” In short, I hadn’t expected to learn so much about English in Palestine.

The Center was also generous in supplying formal Palestinian Colloquial Arabic lessons. This will be essential for anyone who’s only studied Arabic in a Western university, since he or she will find that day-to-day Arabic is quite different from that taught in Al-Kitaab. Each day I would come in saying, “The cab driver today said X, but I learned that he should say Y.” This would kick off a 30 minute impromptu lesson on the local dialect with the other teachers, which would be continued in my formal Arabic class.

Life at home was also enjoyable. I lived with two other Excellence Center volunteers in an apartment just adjacent to our host family, with my own private room and bathroom. This allowed for privacy when needed, while also making it easy for us to go next door for late-night meals with the family. With an abundance of local delicacies always on order, 11 family members to talk with, and a genuine curiosity about one another’s lives, we spent many late nights discussing everything from local foods, traditions, language, and even politics with the family.

One fact should above all be acknowledged by anyone considering this program: West Bank Palestinians' freedom of movement is severely restricted by the Israeli authorities. For example, in order to travel outside Palestine or Israel, Palestinians must petition the Israeli government weeks ahead of time requesting permission to use the international airport in Tel Aviv. This burden, combined with the much lower wages Palestinians earn relative to their Arab and Israeli neighbors, means that a typical Palestinians' ability to travel internationally is severely constrained, meaning their opportunities to interact with different cultures are limited. For this reason you will be asked many questions about your home, your culture, and your religion. You will also be asked your opinions of Palestinian culture, as well as very candid questions about what you and people in your country think about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

These genuine exchanges of ideas, combined with a first-hand exposure to life in Palestine and an opportunity to practice Colloquial Arabic, are exactly the things I was looking for when I applied for this program. I got all this and more, and I highly recommend anyone wanting the same to apply with the Excellence Center in Hebron, Palestine.