I absolutely loved my three months in the intensive Arabic Program with the Excellence Center, and can't wait to return in the future. My teacher Haya was incredible. I couldn't read a single Arabic letter before my arrival here and never thought that by the end of my time here I would be reading and writing so well in Arabic! Haya pushed me and helped me believe in myself, even when the work felt difficult. I will miss seeing her every day, along with all the other incredible staff at the Center.

Osama and Marwa have been such amazing hosts and were always available when I needed guidance or assistance. They planned all kinds of incredible activities for us, and ensured that I was able to experience all that Al Khalil has to offer during my time here. They truly made me feel like a member of the family and I will miss them so much.

Coming to Palestine and spending three months at the Excellence Center was truly one of the best decisions I've ever made, and cannot recommend it highly enough. It's been a life-changing experience.

I joined the Super Intensive Palestinian Arabic for three weeks at the Excellence Center in Al-Khalil (Hebron), Palestine. I spent a lot of time concentrating on learning Palestinian Arabic with my great teacher Doha and all the friendly staff members at the center who also helped me improve my Arabic and some Khalili dialect.

Apart from the intensive learning of Arabic, I met many friends from Palestine and from around the world who were at the school to learn English/Arabic or to volunteer at the refugee camps. It was very nice to meet all these people who are interested in and committed to the Palestinian issue. We spent a lot of time discussing the cruel and sad reality in Palestinian as well as the strength and resilience of Palestinian people. It was also very fun to share rooms with some international friends, which reminded me of my student life!

I had my first ten online lessons in Palestinian Arabic with my teacher Dana and will certainly continue. I can highly recommend. Dana was super friendly and very structured and experienced, while at the same time flexible towards my questions and very motivating. My focus was on conversational skills, but I also learned to read Arabic and its pronunciation. Topics I thought would be difficult became understandable during the classes. I look forward to my next round of classes. Highly recommendable!

I came to the Excellence Center in Hebron to participate in their super-intensive Arabic course for about twelve weeks. I had no familiarity with the language when I arrived but for the script, but after three months of one-on-one instruction with an experienced teacher, I gained a very good beginning acquaintance with it, especially as spoken here in Palestine. Classes touched on all aspects of language-learning—on grammar, vocabulary, translation, and conversation—providing me with a solid foundation for further study. I was also happy to discover that the Center was a lively and welcoming place to undertake this work. It’s staffed by a group of people who are really friendly and genuinely interested in sharing the culture with visitors. It’s also an important institution for the local community, making it a great place for someone like me to make some special acquaintances. It’s a hard thing to capture in a few words, but my experience at the Center was one of the most rewarding of my life.

I warmly recommend the Excellence Center / Engage in Palestine for everybody who want to learn the palestinian dialect. This was my first dialect course and i am very happy that i found the Excellence Center. My teacher Dana is a truly wonderful teacher! 🌟

Her warm and patient way of teaching made learning Palestinian Arabic for me as german both fun and effective. I learned so much during the online course and always looked forward to each session. I’ll definitely be signing up for the next course. Shukran jazeelanو barak allah fiki, ya habibti Dandoun! 🌸 Sarah

I've just spent two weeks in Hebron, in the Intensive Arabic program. It has been a great adventure and a great experience on so many levels! I was a little nervous before coming here, but I didn't need to worry about any of those things that I had imagined might go wrong. Every one at the Excellence Center has been very helpful and there has always been a friendly atmosphere there. My teacher was really the best! I have made a lot of progress, and I feel inspired to continue learning Arabic. It has also been interesting to visit the city of Hebron. The local people are nice and hospitable and eager to get to know international guests. I have felt completely safe and always very welcome. I can really recommend a trip to the Excellence Center for anyone who wishes a holiday experience out of the ordinary!

I've enjoyed my time studying Arabic a lot! The classes were intensive which means we made a lot of progress in only four weeks. My teacher was the sweetest and I had a great time with her.

I fell in love with the city of Hebron which is so welcoming and safe. I felt right at home!

The apartment for women is very new and was a great place to live during my time in Hebron. Sometimes the power/water/wifi turns off, but that usually doesn't last long and has not been a problem for me at all.

Hopefully I'll be back in Hebron soon!

The Excellence Center provides such a fun, safe, and educational experience for all that volunteer. Through the experiences I’ve had with them, I can consider Palestine a 2nd home for me. Everyday I felt safe and excited as I looked forward to what new lessons to teach and activities to participate in. The teachers are amazing and the organizers are awesome. When I was here, I knew my safety was their utmost importance and my experience was ensured to be great. I have more trips here planned. This was my second. So excited