Short-Term Volunteer Projects In Palestine In 2025 (1-13 Weeks)

Two weeks wasn’t long enough. I really enjoyed my time in Hebron and at the Excellence Center. I was very apprehensive travelling to the West Bank due to the fact of being a Muslim with a Pakistani background and with my passport full of stamps from Islamic countries. After the shenanigans at the airport (over 4 hours of waiting) the journey to the West Bank was very straightforward.
Throughout the 2 weeks I travelled to Jerusalem for Friday prayers at the Al Aqsa and Bethlehem and I felt very safe. In Hebron itself, it felt like being at home. The people are so welcoming and friendly.
At the Center the staff and students are amazing. I supported within lessons and I also taught lessons. Introduced the Countdown game to the students and this went down really well. I also had the opportunity to teach at a school in a village. I could read and write Arabic and this helped me throughout my time here.
The fellow volunteers were amazing and I have definitely made some friends for life. We (male volunteers) stayed at the apartment of Shykh Abed whom is very gentle and friendly man. The laughs and banter at the apartment were priceless.

During our free time we visited the local people, drank alot of Arabic coffee and enjoyed the food.

The visit to the Ibrahimi Mosque and to the Old City was an eye opener and very moving.
This definitely was a like changing experience and I am already planning to come again.

Hello, my name is Caroline, I am a 22 years old French Canadian and am about to finish a ten weeks stay in Hebron after graduating from a bachelor’s degree in communication and political science.
During my stay here, I have participated in the TESA program (Teach English, Learn Arabic), meaning that would teach three English classes twice a week to Beginner to Intermediate groups of Palestinians students aged from 8 to 40 years old, as well as learn Arabic in a one one class setting three hours per week.
Although three hours of thought lesson is not enough to master a difficult language such as Arabic, I was fortunate enough to be placed with a wonderful Palestinian host family for which most members spoke enough English for me to communicate with them, but who were also eager to help me develop my spoken Arabic skills. Living with a host family was then amazing to practice the local dialect, but also to fully be immersed in the culture and the daily local life. In that sense, spending the last two weeks of Ramadan here in Hebron was probably one the best part of my trip, as I got to experience the practice of fasting, iftar, sehoor, and Eid with my host family and their extended relatives. Keeping from eating and drinking during the day to the sides of my Palestinian colleagues during the day and breaking fast with my family at night was a very fulfilling experience, I have learnt so much about myself as well as the Palestinian/Muslim way of life.
My lovely time spent with my host family being said, the people I have met at the Excellence Center have also contributed to the positive look I have on my stay in Palestine. The Center’s permanent staff was more than welcoming and helpful throughout the whole time I have spent here, my students were amazing and eager not only to learn English, but also to invite me into their thoughts and lives in Palestine, and last but not least, my fellow volunteers became my closest friends. Together, and many times with the permanent teachers of the Center, we have visited multiple places in Hebron, such as the municipality, the Chamber of Commerce, the plastic factory, the old city and the Alfawar refugee camp, as well as other cities around the West Bank, my favorite being Bethlehem.

My name is Lucy, and I’m a History of Art student from the UK, living in Hebron as a volunteer English teacher for a month. As my time at the Excellence Centre draws to a close, I can reflect back on the amazing experiences I have had, as well as the friendships and understanding I have gained along the way.
Primarily, I spent my days teaching beginner English classes, both as a teaching assistant in the Excellence Centre itself, and with another volunteer in a village on the outskirts of Hebron. These classes, whilst daunting at first – never having been faced with a classful of young student with limited English before, blossomed into hours spent with young people who not only had an appetite for learning that I’ve never experienced before, but were also eager to engage in conversation about their lives and culture outside the classroom; whether when walking me to the bus back to Hebron, or giving me directions when I bumped into them in the street.
The atmosphere at the centre really gelled the experience together – the kitchen at the centre of the building was rarely empty, and the mountain of bread and hummus provided for breakfast never failed to help the volunteers recover from the late Palestinian bedtimes (complete with regular coffee breaks at 1am if you’re brave enough…).
Not only are the staff at the Excellence Centre overwhelmingly welcoming, they provide an excellent insight into Palestinian daily life, and the politics of Hebron. I attended a tour of the Old City by a teacher at the centre, and was lucky enough to not only visit the Ibrahimi mosque, but also a house of a local living in the Old City, and hear his stories about the occupation, and a true taste of what Palestinian life in Hebron involves.
Every weekend I made it my mission to travel somewhere new in Palestine; and have amassed a series of barely believable adventures from Bethlehem to the Dead Sea, and will leave the Excellence Centre with not only photographs and souvenirs, but also lifelong friendships from all over the world.
I could not have wished for a better host family to spend the month with – from being welcomed into their home as family from the first day, and taken to graduation parties and picnics, and treated like a true ‘Khalili’ (Hebronite). They made sure that the Arabic lessons I had at the centre – which provided me with the grammar and language I needed to get by in day-to-day life, was enriched by daily vocab lessons from my various host siblings – meaning that I can now talk about football, food, and cats in great detail…but not a whole lot else.
The one thing I will miss most about Hebron, other than the friends that I have made, is the attention I received on the street. Not negative attention in any way, but the locals that go out of their way to welcome internationals, and find out more about where they are from through genuine interest – I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been invited into shops or homes, or given coffee on the street, by people genuinely wanting to get to know me, and help me have the best experience possible.
I would recommend the Excellence Centre to anyone who wants to see Hebron, and Palestine as a whole, from a genuine local perspective, who is willing to immerse themselves completely in another culture – and definitely anyone who is up for an adventure.

My name is Maria Agustina Mansilla and I came from Argentina to do the Medicine and Healthcare program during two weeks in the Excellence Center. We organized a coursed with midwifery students of the Hebron University with a total of 4 workshops where we talked about medical vocabulary, pregnancy physiology, communication skills and bioethics. It was an honor for me to share with each other our knowledge and it was a very interesting and enriching experience. I shared with them my knowledge but at the same time we encouraged ourselves in our careers, we shared details of us, we got to know each other and we enjoyed together discussing clinical cases and medical ethical dilemmas.
Concerning my program I also had the chance to visit the Al Ahlil Hospital in Hebron where the staff kindly showed me their work place and they introduced me in the medical situation of Palestine. Also I had the chance to visit the Hebron University where I specially visited the laboratories, the library and the amazing Media college where the students have the opportunity of learning journalism with real radio and television studios.
Apart from my volunteering I had classes to improved my Arabic with the kind, patient, creative and interesting Ahlam. With her I didn’t only learned Arabic but also learned about Palestine, the life here, their culture, costumes, flowers, food, etc. She is an example of the strong, educated and kind women that live in Palestine.
Every day I came from my host family home to the Old Center to do my activities. Located near the city center of Hebron, every morning we start our day by having traditional breakfast together with “shai”, bread, hummus, cheese, olive oil and spices. But the Center is not only the volunteers and the staff, every day while being in the center we have lot of conversations with all the people that is around, students, mothers of students, local teachers, friends, etc. In the Center everyone is welcomed and being here we get to know a lot of citizens from the city and near villages.
In my two weeks here I visited Bethlehem with two volunteers and one day I took my day off to go the beach in Jaffa. The last Friday I went to Ramallah and the Dead Sea with my host family and staff from the Center. We shared a barbeque steering to the Dead Sea, we swam, we heard to music, we went to Arafat's Museum and to the Mahmud Darwish Museum. And we ended our day steering the magical city of Jericho from the high mountains near the Teleferic.
During my visit here I stayed in a village called Bait Ummar near Hebron with the family of Ibrahim and Fatina. Them and their sons and daughter Shuruq were my family for two weeks. I got to know their family, I ate Fatina’s amazing arabic food, I ate the figs from their garden, I talked in Arabic with Iusef and I played with the amazing little Mohamed. Also we shared long conversations with shisha, tea and music every night after our work.
Palestine is a beautiful country, the landscapes are stunning and the energy is unbelievable but what truly embellish the country is the people. I made friends in the Center and in Bait Ummar that made every minute an absolute amusement and joy. They opened their houses and their heart to make my days absolutely special. Here it's impossible to go to a place and not be received with the phrase: Ahlan u Sahlan fy Falestine.
Concerning to the safety, even if Palestine has a lot of problems I never felt fear. I think that as long as fear does not reign in Palestine, it is impossible to be scared. Also everyone took care of me as if I were from their family.
I arrived to Palestine without any expectations and I didn’t know what I was going to see here but I have to say I have been surprised by an amazing country with a lot of potential to grow with happy, generous, welcoming, educated and with a lot of love and dedication to their country people I expect to never forget how amazed, welcomed and happy I was here.

Experience in Palestine

Hello, my name is Hannes and I am about to finish a month of working at the Excellence Center in Hebron. I am 19 years old and I am studying Arabic and Islamic Studies in my home country, Belgium. I participated in the volunteering program of the Excellence Center where I taught English to children but I also had the opportunity to take some private Arabic lessons.

In the English classes I assisted a local teacher with teaching to 7 – 12 year old kids. I didn’t have any teaching experience but you get in the flow quite naturally. I also gave some individual classes to older students on several occasions. The focal point of these lessons was mostly placed on the speaking of the language, so I tried to teach the kids a native pronunciation of English, even though I’m not a native speaker.

The private Arabic lessons are particularly helpful because they are private, and for that reason adjusted to your own knowledge and skills. I just finished my first year of university so I had a basis of standard Arabic (Fusha) to start with and learn the Palestinian dialect. My teacher knew what I could and could not handle and taught me a fair bit of Arabic in the small amount of time I spent here. I also tried to pick up some Arabic of the streets, which worked to a certain extent. Girls/women definitely had an easier time learning Arabic because they have the change to stay with a Palestinian host family. The guys stay together at an apartment, which is conveniently located in the city.

During my stay here I could take some days off to visit the country. I went with some other volunteers and Arabic students on a trip to various cities like Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Akko. I even had the chance to hop over to the Jordanian side of the border and visit Petra and Wadi Rum. In the city of Hebron itself it is really interesting to visit the ancient religious sites like the Ibrahimi Mosque and the neighboring synagogue. Hebron is particularly interesting because the city is divided in an Arab and a Jewish part.

I felt quite safe here in Palestine, more than I expected at least. People on the street are very friendly as they are not very used to interacting with foreigners, and will try and talk to you or ask you to have coffee with them. Especially for guys, you don’t have to worry about walking around late at night on the streets or taking taxi’s. Women should take a little more care, but I feel like that goes for every country or city.

The thing I liked most in Palestine is probably the hospitality I just mentioned. As a foreigner you feel very welcome which makes blending in a lot easier. I also just like being emerged in a culture that is quite different from the one I’m used to.
My favorite experience I had in Palestine was probably when me and some other volunteers got invited on the roof of a tall apartment building, which had an amazing view of the city. Also just hanging around with the volunteers made for some very interesting moments and conversations.

The Excellence Center is doing a very good job at teaching English to kids, teenagers and adults who don’t really get the chance to interact with foreigners. A lot of Palestinian people are therefore eager to get educated in any way. I would recommend the Excellence Center to people all over the world, as they provide you with everything you need to have a nice and interesting stay in Palestine.

Finally, I feel like coming here has had great influence on me and on the way I will view Palestine and its people. The images we make in our heads of places like this, with western media as our only source, are so different from how daily life here exists as it does. I will remember the Palestinians for their hospitality and openness to foreigners, while they still manage to cherish their own culture and traditions. I feel like this is a place where I will come back later in my life.

My name is Archie and I have just finished the Human Rights program at the Excellence Centre. I am currently at the University of Leeds, UK, reading Middle Eastern Studies. I have been in Hebron for two weeks.
At the Excellence Centre, I have had Arabic lessons and given classes on Human Rights and in English. I have also been on various trips with members of the centre to places such as Bethlehem.
I have had four beginners Arabic lessons which have been really useful I am now able to introduce myself and get by. The quality of teaching is of a very high standard.
The Excellence Centre’s environment is amazing. The staff and teachers are incredibly helpful and welcoming, they are also really nice people. The Palestinian students are all keen to learn, polite and fun. There is a broad mix of international volunteers coming from all over the world. I have made good friends during my time here.
We visited the Hebron glass and cloth factories. A trip to Ramallah, Jericho and the Dead Sea was organized which was very fun! I have been to Bethlehem twice, seeing the Church of the Nativity and also the Banksy wall – a must see. The Old City in Hebron is very interesting as one can directly see the impact of the settler occupation.
I have been living with the other male volunteers in an apartment at the house of Sheikh Abid. It is a good place to stay and a good place to relax. Hebron itself is the most iconic Palestinian city and if you are looking to fully immerse yourself in Palestinian life, then Hebron is the place to go.
Safety and security is an important topic. Throughout my stay in Palestine, as a male, I have felt completely safe. I have never felt that I have been in danger. It is safer to walk through Hebron at night than it is to walk through Leeds in the UK.
I cannot decide what I like most about Palestine because all aspects are so good. The food is really good, and very affordable, especially in Hebron. The weather is hot but good! A nice change from British weather – sun cream is important. The people and their hospitality are amazing. They are so much more welcoming than the people of Europe.
My lasting impression of Palestine is the character of the Palestinian people. They are so friendly and hospitable despite what has been imposed upon them by Israel. My overall experience has been amazing and I will never forget it. I am studying a politics related degree and so this trip has been very informative. I would definitely recommend to absolutely everyone. Go to Palestine!

I have always enjoyed visiting 'difficult' areas so that I can see for myself what's going on. Volunteering in these areas is even better, where not only can you speak to people directly but you can give some useful help.

The opportunity at the Excellence Center provided all of this. Colleagues, now friends, and I were able to help young Palestinian people (and American/Canadian volunteer friends!) with English, which not only helps them access a much wider range of education and entertainment opportunities, but enables a sort of peaceful resistance through education. I learnt a lot about their culture too, which after understanding a few etiquette barriers, is not that much different to the UK. I picked up a little Arabic too but I only had a week here so not as much as I wanted.

I have met some lovely people and seen their difficulties and humour first-hand. I have also visited Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and eaten a lot of chicken and rice...

It's been a great experience and I very much want to return. I thoroughly recommend this.

Volunteering at the Excellence Centre provides one with invaluable experiences, from meeting local people to making use of one's skills to impact the local community. My stay here was brief and so it is difficult to comment on the overall impact. My only quibble would be that it would help volunteers if a schedule were given to them soon after they arrive (perhaps they could be given some indication of what their work will entail). That said, I have conducted a teacher-training session, sung action songs with children from a village nearby, had Arabic language lessons, team-taught a class of intermediate students, etc., so only as small quibble in the great scheme of things. Volunteering here will allow one to have many learning experiences and opportunities for personal growth. The highlight of my stay here was meeting and chatting to local people - every day brings a surprise :)