Intensive Arabic Programs In Palestine (1-13 Weeks)

Hello, my name is Irene from Spain. I am a graduate in Political Science and presently pursuing my Masters in Human Rights and International Law. This summer, I had the privilege to take the Summer Intensive Arabic course at the Excellence Center (EC) in Palestine.

During my five-week stay, my days typically started with Arabic lessons in the mornings. The lessons were well structured. I had been studying Fusha for four years before, so starting Amyia was a challenge, but here I have been able to communicate within a short period of time. I found the teaching method to be immersive, and I have learned many phrases and idioms that have greatly helped in grasping the nuances of the language. By the end of my course, I was able to converse about many topics in Amyia – a significant improvement from where I began.

Beyond the lessons, the EC organized visits to various places which further enriched my
understanding of the Palestinian culture and history. Being part of these visits allowed me to witness firsthand the socio-political context in which the language evolved.
The Center buzzed with a very positive energy. The staff and teachers were always eager to help, ensuring that I had everything I needed for a comfortable learning experience. The international volunteers and students added to the diversity of the Center, allowing for a rich and multicultural environment.

I visited several cities in Palestine, such as Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jericho, Nablus, Tiberia, Haifa, Yaffa, and Acre. Each place, with its unique history and charm. However, living in Hebron and staying with a host family was the highlight. Their warmth, hospitality, and the day-to-day interactions helped me understand the Palestinian way of life from a grassroots level.

Regarding safety and security, I felt safe throughout my stay. The local people are extremely protective and ensure that visitors feel welcome.

It’s hard to pick favorites from such a wholesome experience. But the food, the people, and their spirit stood out. Palestinian hospitality is so inspiring and heartwarming. Their resilience, amidst all adversities, was truly a lesson for all of us. One of my favorite memories was being invited for lunch by a family whom I met on the way from Jerusalem to Hebron. The day I went to their house, we picked fresh vegetables from their garden and eggs from their chickens. We cooked on their terrace under the vines and talked for hours and ate a delicious fresh meal.

As I look back, my time in Palestine and at the Excellence Center was transformative. The region, often reduced to its political struggles in the media, is so much more. It’s a land of history, culture, hope, and dreams. The Palestinian spirit, their zest for life, and their warm hearts have made a lasting impression on me.

Would I recommend the Excellence Center and this experience to others? Without a doubt. If you’re keen on understanding Palestine beyond the headlines, there’s no better way. Come with an open heart, and you’ll leave with a soul enriched.
While the Centre is doing a commendable job, having more interactive cultural sessions
alongside the Arabic lessons would further enhance the learning experience.

I studied Arabic in Hebron for approximately 3 weeks. My time here was filled with wonderful experiences immersing in Palestinian culture, and meeting the wonderful people at the center and around Palestine. My teacher Saja was the best, and I enjoyed every class with her and my classmates. Classes were engaging and interactive, and I am a lot more confident in speaking Arabic than I was at the start of the program. I enjoyed traveling around and visiting the different cities and exploring the rich history present here. I felt safe and would recommend studing Arabic in Palestine to anyone interested. Thank you to everyone at Excellence Center.

My name is Chris, I study Arabic as part of my degree at university and came to the Excellence Center to practise and learn more Arabic.
I had a great experience at the Excellence Center in Hebron during my two-week Arabic course. My teacher, Haya, was extremely helpful and attentive, and made sure each lesson was personalised for who was in the class. I feel far more confident with the language now than when I started two weeks ago. As well, the center's organized visits to local areas like the Old City provided insightful perspective on the situation here and the way of life.
One thing that stood out to me was the warm and welcoming nature of the people I encountered. From the staff at the center to the locals in Hebron, everyone made me feel like a part of the community and helped me with my Arabic.
As well, I was comforted by the strong sense of safety I felt throughout my time at the Excellence Center. Despite being in an initially unfamiliar place, I quickly realized that the center's location and the community's support created a secure environment for me to explore and learn. The Center was a good transport hub and I travelled from the public transport near the center to cities like Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Haifa.
All in all, my time at the Excellence Center in Hebron was great. Haya's dedication, the insightful local visits, the welcoming people, and the sense of safety made this experience worth it.

Great Arabic lessons in Palestine for a fair price. The center provided pleasant housing, and a daily breakfast with the occasional field trip. I would greatly reccomend it for anyone looking for Arabic lessons in the region. The travel to Palestine was supringly relaxed. I made some great friend around the Center.

Traveling to Palestine wan't nearly as bad as I expected. The were no problems at the airport. The trip from Tel Aviv to Hebron was organised by the center, this was pleasant and fast, but a little pricy. Most importantly, Hebron felt like a very safe and pleasant city

My name is Raul Barrena and I am from the Basque Country. I have been in the Excellence Center for one week in order to study the Palestine arabic dialect and in this short period of time I have had such a good experience. The organization of the center is really good as well the teachers of the Center. I have found very nice people from many countries whose have improve my stay in the Center.
I would like to come back someday and I would also like to thank all the staff of the Center for their brilliant work.

My name is Glen Sellers. I am from the United States. I have been studying at the Excellence Center for 11 weeks. It has been a fantastic experience for me. I was concerned that my age (70) may be a problem with fitting in with the other students. Now that I am at the end of my program, I can say that I have fully enjoyed everyday and every activity that the center has done.
Almost every week the center has arranged a special presentation or a visit to an educational site. I have learned so much about the life of Palestinians and the struggles they have with Israel. I did not understand how the land was divided into A, B, and C areas and all the restrictions on travel and work that exist.
I also have learned how safe it is in Hebron. Never have I felt unsafe. The people are so friendly. Even the children greet you and try and talk with you in English. People like to make you feel welcome in Hebron and will help you in amazing ways.
I had the same teacher all 11 weeks. She was always professional and her English was easy to understand. She has a lot of patience and is very skillful as she teaches Arabic. Because of her excellent English skills, she is able to explain the differences between the two languages and how the grammar works. I have met all the teacher here, and they are all well qualified.
The apartment that I lived in was new. The final touches were finished while I lived there. It is a 10-minute walk to the center. The facilities were very nice. There is a kitchen with a fridge and a cooking top. It does have limited cooking pans. The washing machine worked very well. There is a drying rack on the balcony.
I travelled every weekend to Bethlehem, Jerusalem and some other cities. I have always felt safe and found helpful people whenever I needed directions or help with transportation. It is easy to get city to city.
The center has had weekly dinners for the students. It has been a great way to get to know the other students and experience Palestinian food.
The trips to refugee camps, Bedouin camps, and visiting Palestinians in a settlement all were very educational. These are things that seeing them in person has taught me much more than I could possibly learn by just learn by reading or watching a documentary on the topic.
I highly recommend this program. You won't regret your time spent studying Arabic at the Excellence Center. You will definitely love Palestine!

My name is Eli Gottfried. I am from the United States. For thirty years I worked as a soil scientist. Currently I work as a paraprofessional working with children with learning disabilities.
I was here at the Center of Excellence during the summer of 2023 for a period of 8 weeks (about 2 months). I was involved in the program Intensive Amiyah. I studied formally 4 hours per day, as well as an additional 4 hours of individual studies. Within this program, I participated in 6 tours of Hebron and surrounding communities. These included tours of a glass-blowing factory, the Old City of Hebron, the Ibrahimi Mosque, Bedouin settlements, a refugee camp, and a nature hike.
Prior to coming to Hebron and the Center of Excellence, I had studied Fus’ha for 6 years. My goal in coming here was to immerse myself in the language, people, and culture of Palestine, and to learn Amiyah. I feel that the Center provided excellent opportunities for me to achieve my goals. The teachers were skilled and dedicated. And provided very useful exercises for perfecting the language. In addition, they were available any time after class. The tours provided key insights into the culture, people, and problems faced by Palestinians and Palestine
My experiences at the Center were very positive. The teachers were enthusiastic, friendly, helpful, and dedicated. And there was ample opportunity to interact with other students and with staff.
As someone who walks every morning, I also had the opportunity to meet and interact with people in the community. I routinely met and talked to people coming and going from prayer, cab drivers at their taxi stands, and people just sitting outside their homes. Very often I was invited in for tea, coffee, some fruit. I felt very welcome in Hebron.
My memories of Hebron will always include the kind people I met and with whom I shared meals and good talk.

My name is Molly and I'm from Denmark, and I have been studying Arabic at the excellence centre for 4 weeks. I had three hours of Arabic classes each day with Saja who was a great teacher! We were just 2-4 students in class, and we had a lot of fun with each other and the other teachers and students. I already knew some Arabic before I came, so we did a lot of talking, both about ourselves, the political situation in Palestine and many other things. I definitely learned a lot, now I am able to have conversations in Arabic. Apart from the Arabic lessons, the centre organizes a lot of trips around Hebron. We visited a refugee camp, toured the old city and saw some of the settlements there, went on a hike to Palestine's largest cave and many other things.
In summer there are a lot of students at the centre, and everyone is very friendly. Every weekend, students go on trips to different parts of Palestine, so it's easy to find someone to go with. I went to the Dead Sea, Ramallah, Jericho, Jerusalem and the Sea of Gallilee.
I leaved with a very nice Palestinian family close to the old city with another girl from the center. It was really nice to have the opportunity to talk to them and practise Arabic as well as learn more about the life in Palestine. When you walk in the old city, people are eager to talk about their life here and offer you a cup of coffee, especially when they find out you know Arabic. You definitely get a feeling of the Israel/Palestine conflict, as Hebron is a highly contested area with settlers living in the middle of the city. This was really interesting and an aspect of the stay here I hadn't thought about before coming. It doesn't feel dangerous at all, as both sides of the conflict don't have a problem with Europeans and Americans, and everyone just wants you to leave with a good impression of their country. Traveling within the West Bank is really easy and a great experience, and everyone is really helpful. I would recommend it to everyone visiting Israel to see both sides of the conflict.
Overall I'm very happy with the experience. I have learned a lot, both Arabic, about a very important region of the world and about the Palestinian people.