Study Arabic in Palestine

مرحباً,
my name is Cathrine from Norway and I’ve spent the last 3 weeks studying Arabic at the Excellence Center. I have an undergraduate degree in political sciences and am currently studying for my Masters in Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK. I came here with two friends from university. We wanted to spend some time in the Middle East to improve our Arabic, but also to gain a better understanding of the region by talking to people and getting to know their culture. The situation in Palestine is one we have all studied as part of our course, however, there are obvious constraints to what you can learn within the boundaries of a classroom. The Excellence Center in Hebron offered a unique opportunity to learn colloquial Arabic and at the same time observe and learn more about the lived realities of the Israeli occupation – and by that challenging the twisted representations frequently occurring in the media. By living with a host family and engaging in conversation and spending time with the people here in Hebron, we have learned a lot about the Palestinian mentality, their culture and experienced first-hand their incredible warmth and hospitality. You don’t have to spend more than 2 minutes on the streets here in Palestine before you are invited for coffee, tea and a chat, or even dinner.
The Arabic lessons were intense, but very enriching. Although there is so much left to learn, I feel I have improved a lot in the 3 weeks I’ve been lucky enough to spend here at the centre. Usually the lessons are one-to-one, but since we were two friends coming at the same time we did the lessons together. My friend, Joanne, loves the grammar and it was hard to keep up with her impressive vocabulary. However, Dua’a made sure we were both on board, and was very patient and encouraging as a teacher. Both Joanne and Dua’a have inspired me to work hard, and to hopefully become an expert in Arabic grammar within the next few years, Inshallah! The part I enjoyed the most about the lessons were our conversations. Together with Dua’a we decided on a few topics each week, and she prepared for us a presentation and provided us with the vocabulary necessary for us to engage with the topic at hand.
It has been nice having the weekends off, as this gave us the chance to travel around and explore bigger parts of the West Bank. We got to visit Jericho, swim in the Dead Sea, go rock climbing in Ramallah, see Banksy’s graffiti on the wall in Bethlehem, and of course explore the holy sites in Jerusalem. It’s been amazing! The Center is also good with arranging smaller trips in the local area, like the famous glass factory, the kufiyeh factory, and al-Ibrahimi mosque. It is also worth going down to the old city, to see the settlements and the checkpoints that many Palestinians are forced to go through every day just to make their way to work. The people working here at the centre are very nice, and they do everything for you to feel at home. Together with the host family and the other people either studying or volunteering here at the centre, they have made my experience here in Hebron one which I will never forget.
With regards to safety, as a foreigner I have discovered myself to be in a very privileged position here in Hebron, and in Palestine in general. As a tourist you are not really affected by the occupation, and as long as you do a little bit of research and take precaution you are highly unlikely to feel endangered during your stay. If you are uncomfortable on your own, the people at the centre are more than happy to show you around, to get you in touch with local organisations, or give you traveling advice in general.
I have learned so much from my stay here in Hebron and really hope to get the chance to come back soon. I really recommend Hebron and Palestine – and especially the Excellence Center!

My name is Joanne, and I’m a British student studying Arabic at the Excellence Centre in Hebron.
I have spent the last three weeks living with a host family, taking part in intensive lessons during the mornings and exploring the city and surrounding areas in the rest of the day. Hebron is a great city for a base; it’s fascinating to wander through the old city and experience the reality of the settlements and how they affect the southern side. It’s a regional centre, with shops, markets and restaurants of every kind imaginable.
It is very easy to explore the rest of the West Bank too; the public transport is cheap and usually friendly, and despite restrictions on Palestinian-vehicular travel by Israeli checkpoints, Hebron to Ramallah is just under two hours by servees. The Excellence Centre organise a ton of trips each week – either to local places like the last remaining keffiyeh factory or the Maskobiyeh church, or to areas further afield, like Jericho and the Dead Sea, or to Bethlehem. The staff are really lovely and
The chief purpose of my stay in Hebron was to learn Arabic, so each morning I’ve had 3 hours of lessons with a wonderful tutor. Usually the classes are on a 1-2-1 basis, but my university friend and I have ours together – this is helpful because we can revise vocabulary and classwork together afterwards. We’ve covered a lot of material; basically we re-covered all of the basic grammar again and addressed a few topics such as human rights, future plans, marriage (!) and Palestinian cuisine. Both of us had been learning Modern Standard Arabic at university, but since no-one actually speaks MSA, we decided to focus on amiyya. Conversations with local shopkeepers, waiters and taxi-drivers has been getting much easier over the course of our stay – it is rewarding to be able to communicate in Arabic rather than switching back to English!
A number of friends from the UK were concerned about security issues and my personal safety when travelling around Palestine; I was also somewhat apprehensive about what the situation here might be. But the reality is that most of the time there is no overt difference between the lives of the locals here and those who live in other Arab countries – of course, the occupation means that there are restrictions for Palestinians, that many of them find themselves unable to travel to work or visit relatives in other areas of Palestine or even abroad because of new checkpoints, and it is impossible to drive anywhere without coming across settlements or Israeli military bases – but the lives still go on. They still go to school, go shopping in the evenings on the ein sarah street, attend university, work in every kind of business and go on day trips to amusement parks or other villages and towns. It’s been a right privilege to have lived with a host family in the north of the city, close to the main university, and see the familiar pattern of school term-time played out in another culture! The family are very welcoming – as are most of the people were have met here.
I thoroughly recommend the Excellence Centre to anyone who wants to visit Palestine, learn Arabic, meet wonderful people and eat awesome food.

I am Colter, a Canadian Master of Arts Student at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. My experience of the Excellence Center in Hebron, Palestine, has been incredibly rewarding. The decision to study Arabic in Palestine has been fulfilling, not only because of the high level of professionalism and enthusiasm with which the lessons are conducted, but also because of the chance to continually practice and develop my Arabic while casually speaking to people at the Center, in the city, or at my host family residence.
Not only has the Excellence Center’s program given me the opportunity to intensively study the Arabic language, but it has also afforded me numerous memorable encounters with Palestinian culture and society. The atmosphere at the Center has been welcoming, inclusive, and learning-friendly. Living in the Center of Hebron city with a Palestinian host family has furthermore allowed me to directly connect with regular Palestinian life and traditions. The warm hospitality, delicious food (falafel, shawarma and knaffeh), and weather have been wonderful. I have also been thankful for the opportunities organized by the Center to travel around Palestine; while here I have visited not only Hebron, but also Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho and Jerusalem. Along the way, I have made numerous friends, both local Palestinians and fellow students, volunteers and lecturers.
I have furthermore welcomed the many opportunities provided by the Center to further earnestly explore various aspects of historical and contemporary Palestinian life, in addition to the nature of the Israel-Palestine conflict. As such, I highly recommend the Excellence Center to anyone who wishes to study Arabic, volunteer, or grow in their understanding of Palestine. It is worth every moment.

Once in a lifetime, once in Palestine -
A land of olives, grapes and people

I am Celmah Cecily Yim from Hong Kong. It is my second time to come back to Palestine and I decided to spend two weeks doing intensive private Arabic lesson with Excellence Center in Hebron.

It is really my fortune to have studied Arabic with ustadha Shayma who is highly skillful and experienced in teaching this beautiful language to foreign students. Personally I have been studying spoken Arabic in Hong Kong for 3 years but I wanted to dedicate some time to practise and focus on the fluency. Alhamdulillah ustadha Shayma is very detailed and knows exactly how far I can reach and what objectives I aim for. All the materials provided have been extremely helpful and relevant. Simply a short two week has improved significantly my Arabic in terms of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Works like magic ! I am now feeling much more confident and comfortable in this language.

Excellence Center is like my home base in Hebron. Everyone including the staff and the volunteers are so welcoming and friendly. It is like a family. I am grateful for Rafat, Marwa, Khitam and Abu Mohannad for taking care of me in every aspect. In just two weeks, I am able to get to know the Palestinian culture, local industry and society in a deep level.

During my stay, I am living with a Palestinian host family. Before arrival, I was a bit hesitated about this idea but alhamdulullah, the family is very very good. I am becoming part of the family and now we feel how strange it will be when I am back to Hong Kong ... leaving them alone at home. I am extremely thankful for the Natsheh family, especially Shaza, Safwat, baby Zayna, Yosra, little uncle Yahia, Mustafa and Khitam. Everyday I have been spoiled with wonderful food, either local Palestinian crops or hand picked right from their yard ... lemon, almond, rosemary, potatoes... as if the concept of diet was left behind in Hong Kong.

One of the highlight in this journey is to be able to pray in Masjid Al Aqsa in Jerusalem. Alhamdulullah. As a Muslim revert, this is such a rewarding experience and I wish Allah SWT will accept all our duaas.

As for safety, being a single woman traveller, I feel completely safe, even safer than in Hong Kong and in the U.S. I am perfectly at ease walking alone or wandering around the town by myself. There is no problem at all. The Palestinians in Hebron are the nicest, the most passionate kind I have ever met in my life. There must be someone coming to help you whenever you look in doubt in the street. The owners in the falafel shop, spice shop, fruit shop, sweets shop etc surprisingly can remember everything you told them and admire your level of Arabic in the public. This little episode not only made me feel welcome but also motivated me to speak even better Arabic !

A city where "everyone is doing business with China", Hebron has everything I want and everything I have been looking for : food, people, local industry, a perfect environment to practise Arabic, an accessible balad to walk from here to there, a tradition of family always together, a safe neighborhood for children to run free, a time to slow down and a space to stimulate my intellectual thinking etc etc. The conversation with the local people about their life under Israeli occupation, for example, what they think about it, how they cope with it every day, what are their worries and how do they want to solve it etc is the most amazing moment in this adventure. It's worth every minute and more to listen to their story, their attachment to this land, their determination to protect the homeland.
I highly regard the Palestinians, in spite of the occupation, they remain proud, resistant and resilient.

Open a window to new country and you will be glad you did. On a personal note, immediately after I had embraced Islam in 2012, there was always a voice in my heart calling me to come to Palestine. Alhamdulillah for everything, Allah made it easy for me to follow the heart map. InshaAllah I will definitely come back to Palestine again, come back to Hebron which has become my important home base in The Middle East.
God bless and protect Palestine.
I am always with you !

الف الف !

I stayed for five days at the Excellence Center and I studied Arabic with my great teacher Maryam Joulany. After my stay in al-Khaleel I continued my travels to Ramallah, Nablus and Jericho. I never felt unsafe during my stay in Palestine even though I was a lone traveller. It was very easy to get around in spite of the fact that I hadn't done any planning, I didn't have a working mobile phone or any maps. I asked my way around and always got very good help from the people I met and that way I also got a valuable chance to speak and listen to a lot of Arabic.

I learned a lot of 3amiyya both at the center but also from all the Palestinians I met during my trip. Maryam was a wonderful teacher and had many creative ideas on how to teach the language. The classes were very varied and never felt boring. The staff at the center were extremely helpfull and generous and we were for example invited to Maryam's house where we ate wonderful Maqlooba and got the chance to communicate in Arabic in a larger group of people. Me and another student also went out for a lovely Palestinian breakfast with our teachers at a restaurant. We did excursions to many interesting places in al-Khaleel and its surroundings; like Betlehem, the monastery Mar Saba and the Jabal al-Fureidis and got the chance, thanks to Marwa, to visit the observer organisation TIPH. I did not only improve my Arabic, but I also learned a lot about the political situation, the occupation and the hardships that most Palestinians meet in their daily lives. The ambiance at the center was very warm and welcoming, thanks to the dedication among students, staff and teachers.

To live in a host family was also a great experience and gave me a chance to speak and listen to a lot of Arabic (and eat great food).

I am also very glad I went to different cities in Palestine because I felt that the culture and climate varied a lot between the places. My trip from Nablus to Jericho for example was very interesting because even though the two places were just about an hour apart by car they seemed to be totally different.

I will of course recommend the center to others. My stay at the Excellence Center was so enriching in many ways and I hope I get the chance to return to the center and Palestine soon!

Thank you for your generosity and for giving me memories for life!

My name is Coco, I'm 23 years old and I`m a midwife from Germany. This year I was staying for 4 weeks in Hebron and participated in the ¨Study Arabic¨ program at the Excellence Center. I want to tell you a little bit more about my stay.
It was the first time ever that I visited an Arabic country and for the first few days I felt like I stumbled pretty clumsy through this foreign culture. I didn`t speak the language and I didn`t really know much about the culture. Thankfully everyone was so patient with me and supported me in every way possible.
I was staying with a Palestine host family that took very good care of me. Everyone was always so friendly and welcoming although it was challenging to communicate because I spoke little Arabic and they didn`t speak that much English. But surprisingly it worked out every time. I also probably gained about 3 kg because they feed me all the time delicious food. And I could get really get used to the practice to have tea or coffee basically all the time. I enjoyed this lots!
I had four Arabic lessons everyday and my teacher Maryam was really good and so patient. I only knew the alphabet before I came here and she helped to improve my Arabic really fast. I`m still a little bit shy with speaking but actually there`s no reason for it as I know all the necessary grammar and words now. Nevertheless Maryam never gave up with getting me to speak. I always have a lot of questions and sometimes I get frustrated easily but she always had been so patient and tried to encourage me.
The environment of the Excellence Center is also a very friendly one. Everyone has always been so supportive and caring. Whenever there was a problem or I needed anything, everyone has tried his or her best to help me. I also enjoyed my time with the other Internationals here and a few good friendships have formed. They have been very important for me while I was here because the understand the struggles you sometimes face while being away from home. We usually would go out every other evening to a coffee shop and it was always lots of fun. I`m gonna miss all the people here – the one`s that work here and my fellow Internationals.
It also never gets boring because the Center organizes lots of activities you can participate in. Unfortunately I didn`t get to enjoy too many as I had been ill during my stay and also needed a lot of time just for being on my own. So I only got to participate in a trip to Jericho and the Dead Sea and it was amazing! I have seen the pictures of people floating in the Dead Sea but it`s a very special experience to really do it yourself. We had lots of fun on your trip although I was very tired when we returned in the evening.
I also got to celebrate my birthday here as I turned 23 during my stay and it was a really good experience. The people from the Center had organized a small party, there was a cake with a picture of me on it and they even got me presents! I was really amazed how everyone tried to help to have a good time and I did in fact. It was a beautiful day and I`m glad that I got to celebrate my birthday here.
What could be challenging from time to time was that I`m a vegetarian. Palestine food contains lots of meat in general but it`s still possible to get by. Especially the Falafel place across the street has a huge place in my heart. As does the bakery. Those cookies are just delicious. I also enjoyed the breakfast in the Center with lots of hummus. I could totally keep that up in Germany. So even you have to search a little bit from time to time it`s still possible to survive here as a vegetarian and there are really lots of delicious food you definitely have to try!
Another thing that was on my mind (and my Mum`s) was the security situation. In general I felt safe most of the time. There had been protests in December after Trump accepted Jerusalem as the capital of Israel but I didn`t really see much of those as they were pretty far away from my host family and the Center. I always felt as nothing could really happen as long as I didn`t go to the protests and just stayed inside. Be carefull, pay attention to the things around you, read the news and ask for advise from the people at the Center and you will be fine. For most of the time everything here is just as normal as elsewhere.
In general I enjoyed my stay in Palestine very much. Sometimes it`s not easy because of the different cultures – for both sides. But just be open and talk with the others if there are problems. It´s also a huge learning experience and I didn`t only learn a lot about Palestine culture but also aboutmyownandaboutmyself.EveryonehasalwaysbeenverysupportiveandkindandI`msadthat I have to leave soon. If you want to learn about another culture and learn Arabic I can only recommend you to stay at the Excellence Center.

My name is Mila, I’m a 28 year old teacher from Denmark. I have a bachelor degree in Intercultural Education and Arabic Language and decided to come to Hebron in order to practice my Arabic. I participated in the programme ‘Study Arabic in Palestine’ for 2 weeks. During my stay in Hebron I stayed with a host family and had Arabic classes 5 days a week at the Excellence Center. I really liked this combination, since it let me practice the Arabic language throughout the day. I was really satisfied with my teacher Ibrahim who is really skillfull in teaching as a foreign language. I especially liked that he was really creative in his use of different learning methods - I never felt bored!

I felt really pleased with the environment at the center. As soon as I arrived to the center I immediately felt at home since the staff and the other students and volunteers were really welcoming. The atmosphere is relaxed and you hardly feel the difference between who is a teacher, a student and a volunteer. There will always be someone in the kitchen ready for a chat over a cup of mint tea. I liked that during my stay we were only 5-6 international students/volunteers. In that way you get to know everyone well, and also that you also get to spend a lot of time with the local staff and not only internationals like yourself.

The Center arranged a lot of visits to different places such as the Old City, the grocery market, a glass and ceramics factory, and the Miskoubia Church. Since you have two days off each week, you will have the chance to visit many places outside Hebron as well. I visited Jericho and Jerusalem during my two-weeks stay, which I really enjoyed.

The thing I liked the most about staying in Hebron is the great hospitality I met from everyone. It is really easy to practice the language outside the center since everyone you meet is very open and you get a lot a chances to use it with locals, for instance when you go shopping. Hebron is a great city where you can find everything from historical sites to modern cafes and restaurants. At the same time it is close to other West Bank cities such as Jerusalem, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Jericho.

I felt very safe during my stay during my stay. The center is located in a safe place in the city so even though some tumults where taking place during the period I was in Hebron, I hardly felt it. Actually, I feel safer staying in The West Bank than in any European Capital. When something happens in Europe you as a tourist can be a target, whereas in The West Bank, no one has interest in harming a tourist - on the contrary, it would be really bad for both parts of the conflict. The conflict that is going on here is a conflict between only Israeli soldiers and Palestinians, and as long as you keep away if you see a demonstration, you will be very safe. The staff at the center are all the time updated with the situation, so if you have the least doubt about whether it is safe to go somewhere or not, you can always ask them for advice.

Overall I had a really good experience at the Excellence center and hope to be able to come back in the future. I will strongly recommend it to anyone interested in learning or improving their Arabic language - you will definitely learn Arabic but also so much more!

I am Amanda, and I am from Denmark. I almost have a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and Arabic, and I came to the Excellence Center to improve my Arabic. Therefore I did the ‘Individual Arabic Course’, and I was very happy with my course. In my opinion it is impossible not to learn some Arabic just by staying in Palestine and living with a host family, and the language course can be a further help in improving your language skills. It has been a much valued experience for me, and I would not have it any other way. The Excellence Center is such a nice base to have in the city! The staff and the teachers are very nice and friendly and willingly to help you with literally everything, you need. It is a wonderful to have a base as this, where you eat breakfast and talk in the mornings, drink coffee in the breaks, share experiences with the other international volunteers and the staff, and you can go back to center, when you need a break from walking in the city. Personally I really liked the Excellence Center, because it is not just a language school. Besides all the meals and talks the center also arranged trips, because they want their students to experience the city. I went on a visit to a glass and ceramics factory and a kuffiyah factory also, which was very interesting. I also went on trips around in Palestine and experienced some of the beautiful places and cities here like Bethlehem, Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, Jerusalem. There are always new things to see and experience in this country, and I am looking forward to coming back soon, hopefully. But living in Hebron with a host family was the best experience! I learned so much about Palestinian culture just by living with my host family and being a part of their everyday life. For me it was also very nice having someone, you come home to and share things about your day and experiences. I never felt unsafe in Hebron at all. In my opinion it is often a question about travelling wisely and respectful, but the kindness and hospitality of Palestinian people needs to be experienced for sure. My favorite thing about Palestine is the Palestinians, who are some of the warmest and friendliest people, I have met on my many travels. My lasting impression about Palestine is that it really needs to be experienced - this country is so much more than I had ever imagined.

My name is Erica and I’m a teacher student from Sweden. I took a two month arabic intensive course at the Excellence center. I am very happy with the course and my teacher. She really did a great job to variate my lessons and to make it fun and interesting. I am very satisfied because of how my arabic has improved.
I spent a lot of my time in the center. We had breakfast together everyday, and usually I stayed after class to make my homework. I liked the center because of its nice staff, teachers, volunteers and students.
The center also arranged trips to Jerusalem, Betlehem, local factories, the dead sea, a village and a refugee camp. And since I made some Palestinian friends, I also got the chance to go on trips with them to Nablus and Ramallah.
During my stay in Hebron I lived with a palestinian family. They were all very friendly, and I felt very welcomed. The city is very pleasant with nice coffee shops, cafés and restaurant. But what I didn’t know before I came here was how conservative the city is.
The palestinians I’ve met has been very friendly, and the only times I didn’t feel safe was while walking alone in the evening. The hardest thing for me to cope with during my stay was the traditions. It was never a big issue for me, but I got comments like ”Don’t smoke in the street” and ”Cover your body”. But it’s a good experience to see what life’s like for women in Hebron. It’s also good practice for you to put your own beliefs aside for a while due to respect for the culture and religion here.
The things I will miss the most about Hebron is the delicious food, the warm weather and the hospitality. The warm welcoming every time you enter a shop or restaurant is rare to find in Scandinavia.
If you want to improve your arabic, I really recommend you to take classes at the Excellence center.

My name is Miroslav, I'm 32 years old and I'm from the Czech Republic. I graduated in Architecture and Urbanism at the Czech Technical University in Prague. At the Excellence Centre I was studying Arabic for one month which meant 4 lessons per day 5 times a week.
As I'm working in Prague I have one month of holiday only so I decided to focus on Arabic rather then being volunteer at the Centre. My teacher was دعاء and I'm appreciating her approach and skills. She tried to do her best to help me with Arabic as well as with learning vocabulary. I have learned a lot however I would need at least another month to be able to communicate on a level that I would like to have.
As for the Centre itself, I was attending lessons in the new Centre which is quite big and comfortable. The staff, teachers, international volunteers and students were very nice and I really enjoyed time at the Centre. Sometimes we had common dinner and every day before the lesson there was a common breakfast. The Centre organised some trips within the city as well as out of the city. We went together to Jerusalem and a village called Susya, there was also possibility to visit a glass factory in Hebron. All trips were very nice and I'm happy I could visit a place such as Susya.
During my stay in Hebron I tried to travel a lot and so I visited Jenin, Ramallah, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Dahrija. All the cities are accessible by local service and except to Jenin it is possible to visit them in a one day trip. I didn't go to Nablus and Jericho because I already visited these cities last year. I would recommend everyone to travel within the West Bank because each city has different atmosphere.
Hebron itself is a city that has a Jewish settlement in the very centre which creates some difficulties for its citizens as well as for visitors. However I can't say I would feel unsafe in Hebron. Sometimes it happens that Israely soldiers are coming to the centre and in this situations it is better to stay at home.
If I focus on living, me and other guys either volunteers or students only, we were staying in a old house in the very centre of Hebron. I like architecture of the house however I would recommend some improvment, for example in the shower where water pressure was to small to unable us to wash ourself comfortably.
When I decided to come to Hebron to the Excellence Centre I had already known something about Palestine because I had travelled a lot in the region. However I have to say that to stay there for one month was a different experience in a positive way and I realy enjoyed people's hospitality, food and (...) water pipes. In Hebron you can realize what the occupation is, how it is influencing people's lives etc. I would recommend everyone who is interested in Palestinian culture and the region to came to Hebron.
I wish I could come back again.

My only regret is not having been able to stay longer. The Excellence Centre's management are wonderfully relaxed about when you arrive, when you leave and what skills you want to focus on, which makes it possible to fit your stay around other commitments. I'm especially grateful to Usama for helping me settle in and showing me the best falafel dive in town, and Maryam for listening patiently for a solid 3-4 hours as I babbled ceaselessly about what I'd done the day before, my favourite colour etc. When classes were over, we got a chance to what Palestinian culture is really about, through visits to a glass furnace, a sandal factory run by hand, the last kuffiyeh factory in Palestine and the old city, squashed between an Israeli settlement and a heavily guarded checkpoint. All in all this course was informal and relaxed in all the right ways, while delivering an intense and very practical language programme. My fellow foreigners who'd been around for longer seemed to have forged real friendships within the community; Hebron is welcoming, positive and interested in visitors.

My name is Cynthia, and I am an undergraduate student at the University of Mississippi studying International Relations. I am from the United States, and I am participating in the Teach English, Speak Arabic program at the Excellence Center.

Before I came to Hebron this summer, I was under the impression that I was going to be living in a conflict zone, that I’d have IDF soldiers walking up and down the street, and that fear and political tension would be oppressively present in every part of my daily life. Professors who have traveled to the West Bank told me that I’d want to have someone to whom I could vent to about the situation. I read many, many news articles online that pointed to instability in the Palestinian Territories, and that living there meant inevitably being involved in protests and politics.

However, the understanding of the situation in Palestine among not only common people, but also among those who study the Middle East, is gravely skewed. I had prepared myself for a summer of politics, when I really did not need to. I have spent the past two months with the Excellence Center, teaching English in both the city of Hebron and the village of Kharas. It wasn’t a political experience. It wasn’t unsafe, and it wasn’t nearly what I thought it would be. I lived in a beautiful house, had plenty of hot water for my showers, and the electricity never was cut off. I took public transportation by myself, and passed checkpoints easily whenever I travelled to the Hebron settlement or Jerusalem. While I did have to adjust to the culture with both my host family and the classroom, volunteering with the Excellence Center has given nothing but wonderful insight and impressions of Hebron and the West Bank.

Every day this summer, I would take the bus in the morning from the village where I lived to the center. Ialways would breakfast with the entire Excellence Center staff, which was a great time for me to talk to my friends before we went our own ways for the day. During breakfast, all the Excellence Center volunteers were constantly engaged in interesting political discussions as we talked about Brexit, the Trump election, South African politics, or Hawaii’s complicated relationship to the United States. The people here at the Excellence Center come from such diverse backgrounds, so there’s always a multitude of conversation topics. This was one of my most favorite aspects of working here at the center: being constantly surrounded by people who had so many different perspectives and opinions that no one ever had the same ideas about any subject. Sometimes we would talk about weddings, and the former professional chef from New York City would talk about how she catered an extremely fancy wedding last year. Or we could be talking about Trump, and the conversation would just move to talking about the alt-right movements in Europe. We would always share our languages with each other too, picking up words in Swedish, Danish, Chinese, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Italian, and Spanish, as we all taught English and learned Arabic.

The environment here at the Excellence Center is nothing but positive and supportive, even on the worst of days. There’s always someone to talk to, someone to rant to, someone to celebrate with, and someone to study with. Everyone is excited to experience new things, tease out new bits of Palestinian culture that we don’t understand, and to support each other for the time that we’re here. Adjusting to life in a conservative, religious city can be hard, but the people and internationals at the Excellence Center make it much easier.

The most important lesson that I’ve learned from my time here in Palestine is that you really need to go to its cities, meet its people, spend time on its streets and in its public transportation system, and eat in its restaurants and coffee shops if you really want to know what life is like there. My life here in Hebron doesn’t look like your Al-Jazeera documentary or your exposé from the New York Times. No amount of academic research or talking to my professors could have given me the same knowledge that living in Hebron did. I experienced Palestinian culture and what it means to live under occupation. I learned a lot about Palestinian classroom culture, and the positive and negative aspects of having foreigners teach English classes to Palestinian students. I learned how to cook Mensif and Makloubeh, and about how many spoon-fulls of sugar to put in a pot of Arabic tea. Teaching at the Excellence Center has been an invaluable experience that has changed the way in which I look at life and education in the West Bank. I will not leave Palestine with extensive experiences in protests or the IDF, but I know a lot more about Palestinian daily life, which is almost more valuable.

Teaching English and learning Arabic at the Excellence Center was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The experiences I have had and the people that I have met have changed my life for the better, and my knowledge in the Palestinian Question has increased in ways that I had not thought possible before.

Marli, Australia

I currently work as a town planner, with a previous Bachelor and Masters degree, in Australia and have recently been working in Arabic speaking counties and have been looking for a program to enable me to learn the language as a beginner.

With no prior knowledge of Arabic, I undertook beginners Arabic lessons at the Excellence Centre. While having only a small window of two weeks, these intensive one-to-one daily classes provided me with a solid foundation on which to develop my understanding of the language.

One-to-one tuition enabled flexibility in the coursework to adapt to my ability and needs, notably my preference for learning conversational colloquial Arabic and for navigating the basics of daily life around Palestine. Every class built a base of new vocabulary and grammar, leaving me with a awareness of how to further develop my Arabic speaking and writing beyond my time in Hebron.

Greeted to a friendly, welcoming atmosphere everyday, the Centre was an integral home base for my experience in Hebron. Local students were none too shy to test their conversational English skills or in turn for me to test my own.

This overall experience was confounded by the opportunity to stay with a local Hebron family. They were extremely hospitable and eager to include a clueless foreigner in all aspects of their social and cultural life. Whether invited to a celebratory family meal or an extravagant local wedding, the home stay experience provided the perfect place to test my new found Arabic skills.

Hebron is a unique city, small and quiet enough to feel at home, yet never far from the fireworks of a wedding party. For a solo female traveler, there is little to feel uncomfortable about as the streets of the city centre as always frequented by local women and girls. The city is easily walkable, if you are fit enough to tackle the steep hills, and stumble across many a fig tree or grapevine.

For an Arabic novice the experience may not be as straightforward or reveal as much about locals customs as more experienced Arabic speakers, but if you're willing to sit back and absorb, it will prove a very rewarding experience.

My Experience + EC Review
My name is Brenda, a 24 year old from Chicago, USA. I currently work as an administrative assistant at an Architecture firm, but graduated 3 years ago from Wright State University with a BA in International Relations with concentrations in The Middle East, Peace & Diplomacy, and Arabic. I currently pursue my passions volunteering and mentoring with Syrian refugee families and teaching basic Arabic to children in Chicago.
I decided to come to the Excellence Center because I want to improve my Arabic through the immersion experience, as well as experience a new culture. My expectations were exceeded regarding my Arabic teacher, Ibrahim. His energy and teaching style not only kept me constantly engaged the entire 40 hours I studied, but made me excited to leave class to speak with others using what I learned that day, do my homework, and be enthused to come to class the next day and do it all over again. I learned so much in the short two weeks I was there that I’ll be able to go home and apply.
My host family was incredible. They helped me experience the daily life of a Palestinian family- an invaluable experience. They were so welcoming, accommodating, and helpful. I couldn’t have asked for a better family to stay with.
Before coming to Palestine, I wasn’t sure what to realistically expect in terms of safety. I’m an optimist, so I was sure what was on the news wasn’t accurate, but doubt still lay beneath my confidence. In reality, I never once felt unsafe while here. Literally not once. Even when I got lost, people would enthusiastically and genuinely want to help me and make sure I felt safe. The hospitality of the people here is nothing I’ve ever experienced, and it has encouraged me to go back home and spread awareness as to the reality of the Middle Eastern culture and people, as we often grow up in the West with mistaken beliefs formed by media and here say. The connections I’ve made with staff and locals are ones I will cherish forever and I absolutely plan to come back to Hebron in the future.

The Excellent Center is a perfect school to learn Arabic. I started studying Arabic here as a beginner and based on my experience, I can recommend this school. The teachers speak english well, they are professional and helpful to support you during your learning. You can decide to study Modern Standard Arabic, Palestinian dialect or both of them! Excellent center is not only a school: here you can study Arabic and also Palestinian culture. The school is in a new easily accesible building with Wi-Fi, located in the H1 area. Highly recommended!!!!