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

I'm a University student from Germany and I volunteered at the Excellence Center for one month.
My main task was supporting the English teachers with their classes at the Center. I would practice discussion questions with the students, help with colloquial exams or do short presentations about German or Western traditions and food. A lot of times I went to high schools in nearby villages where I taught together with another volunteer. We were able to prepare and hold a lot of those classes on our own, dividing the lesson in a theoretical part and a game part where the students had the chance to practice what they’ve just learnt in a more fun and interactive way. Additionally I did a few one-on-one conversational classes with older students at the Center.
Twice a week I had Arabic lessons with one of the teachers from the Center. I always enjoyed the classes and felt like they were very effective, focusing only on conversational skills that I could apply and practice right away during my daily life with my host family.I chose to learn the Palestinian dialect so that I would be able to communicate with the locals. Apart from these classes I learnt a lot just by being around my host family or trying to talk to taxi drivers, shop keepers or people on the streets. As I wasn’t a complete beginner, but had a good basis from Arabic classes at home I felt like I could definitely collect a lot of new vocabulary and learn how to have basic small-talk conversation. Apart from that, one month is not enough to make any major progress if you don’t commit to studying Arabic full time. But my time here gave me a lot of motivation to keep going and improve my Arabic skills at home.
At the Excellence Center I likedthe relaxed atmosphere and friendly relationship between the volunteers and the teachers. Sitting together for breakfast or coffee between classes in the kitchen or on the rooftop has become something I was looking forward to every day. Being around other volunteers and sharing with them the experiences you make with your host family and hearing about what they experience was very important to me and the communal spirit among the Internationals definitely contributed to the positive atmosphere at the Center. Also the staff was very supportive and I always felt comfortable talking to them about any problems or questions that came up during my stay. The students seemed very excited about the foreigners and a lot of times during the breaks they came to say Hi, shake your hand or take pictures with you. I would not have thought that so many people here are so passionate and motivated about learning English.
From time to time, the Center organized trips around the city to show us the local businesses and cultural sites.I went on a tour to the Ceramic, Clothes and Camel Factories and another time one of the teachers took us to the Old City of Hebron and told us about the complex situation between the soldiers and Palestinians that still live there. Apart from that, on the weekends I did a lot of trips with the other volunteers. We visited Jericho and the ruins of Hisham’s Palace, Bethlehem and the wall, Jerusalem, Nablus and Jenin. The shared taxis are an easy and considerably cheap way to get around on your own. In some places, like Jericho, it is better to have someone take you with a car. With my host family I spent one day at the Dead Sea doing a barbecue, which was a great experience as well.
Living in Hebron definitely took some getting used to for me, but after a couple of weeks, once I had a better orientation of the central areas and figured out the taxi system, I felt more comfortable. Especially the Old City with the Ibrahim Mosque, the market and Tel Rumeida are very interesting and beautiful places to visit. Being here gives you the opportunity to learn a lot about the occupation and the current situation between Palestinians, settlers and soldiers, which is a sad, but significant part of life in the Westbank. The host family can make or break your volunteering experience, as you will probably spend a lot of time with them. Family in general plays a huge role in a Palestinian’s life, so during your time there you will probably meet a lot of uncles, aunts, cousins and sisters or brothers in law. Therefor it’s important to feel comfortable around them and if you don’t, to tell the people at the Center. This is why I decided to change host family after one week and have been very happy with my new one. I really enjoy spending time with them in the evening, eating and watching TV or going out for dinner to a restaurant or a relative’s place. Being around the family in the house is also the perfect way to practice Arabic vocabulary that learn during class.
I was a bit concerned about the security situation and about not being able to walk around freely at all or experiencing incidents between Palestinians and soldiers on the streets. But after I got to know the city I felt safe and walking around Hebron during daytime turned out to not be a problem at all. Knowing the directions in Arabic or having someone write them down for me helped a lot to avoid confusion with the taxi drivers. I was surprised that travelling inside Palestine was not an issue at all. Anywhere I’ve went so far, service drivers and people on the streets were very considerate and always ready to help when I didn’t know how to get from A to B and happy to practice their English with me. Also traveling to Israel for the weekend is no problem at all when going through Jerusalem. The only thing that I always had to keep in mind were the Palestinian and Israeli holidays to make sure I don’t get stuck on the way, as I was traveling on Friday and Saturday most of the time.
I think what I came to appreciate the most about Palestine is the hospitality of the people that start treating you as part of the family right away. Of course I loved the food, like hummus and pita and the traditional Makhluba. Being with the other volunteers at the Center, traveling with them on the weekends and sharing with them all the new experiences was very important to me as well.
I do believe that volunteering with the Excellence Center and living with a host family gives volunteers a unique opportunity to dive into the Palestinian culture and learn spoken Arabic while contributing to the community of Hebron. The two days off during the week are a perfect amount of time to travel around the area and explore Palestine together with other volunteers. The best recommendation that I can give to future volunteers is to take any chance to engage with the locals, try to speak as much Arabic as possible and ask questions if you’re curious about certain things. You might be surprised about their openness and their generosity. At the same time being able to clearly communicate when you don’t feel comfortable with something and to not be afraid of insulting them by not accepting every offer is just as important in order for you to make the best of your time here in Palestine.

This was my first time to Hebron and I only had a short stay while I was in town. I was running a small academic project in which I was interviewing English teachers in Palestinian educational institutions to learn about their experiences and I was lucky enough to have learned about the Excellence Center online.

Hebron is my penultimate place to visit in Palestine (I have been here for about 10 days in which I visited Ramallah and Nablus) and one thing I am struck by is how courteous and generous the people have been. I would say that my experiences of just going-around and meeting people has been quite positive. I have been to a number of other Arab countries before (mainly in the Gulf) but I think my visit to Palestine is going to be the most memorable. I've been having very warm and friendly conversations with people at pretty much every turn.

The foreign volunteers here are very motivated to learn Arabic and they work very hard to plan their English lessons. As for the Center's Palestinian teachers, they were very enthusiastic and I was happy to get a chance to meet and interview them. They care about their students, which is probably the most important part of a school. All in all, I think the Center looks dedicated to its work and they care about their students.

My name is Lucie and I am originally from the Czech Republic. I graduated 3 years ago and I have a Masters degree in Civil Engineering and Architecture. I decided to come to Palestine as a volunteer because I have always been interested in Arabic culture. Since I was already working in Tunis, I wanted to get some experiences in the Middle East. Joining the Excellence center seemed to me the best option for discovering the culture, and doing something useful for the local people. As a volunteer, I participated in different activities such as workshops at the universities, assisting with English classes, and teaching private English lessons. It was really great experience to see the motivation of the locals to learn English. Sometimes it was a challenge to keep them quiet, but as soon as we switched to some games or interesting topics, we always had a lot of fun together in our lessons. And all the students were really nice and enthusiastic about learning English. All the volunteers had Arabic lessons twice a week with a local teacher. I think those lessons were very efficient as they were “one to one,” so the teacher could adjust the lesson according to your requirements. I think my Arabic definitely improved during my 6 weeks in Palestine.
The Center environment is nice, they take care of the internationals and help you with everything that you need. As Friday is the day off in Hebron, the Excellence Center sometimes organizes the trips around the country to show the internationals other places outside of the city. Accommodation in Hebron depends on your gender. As a girl,I lived with a host family. I think it was very interesting to see how the local families live, and join their lifestyle on a daily basis. My family was very welcoming, and always took me with them to visit their relatives or neighbors. Whenever I needed any help they were here for me. I think it was a unique experience to see how the Palestinian people live, and you could not see this lifestyle as a tourist living in a hotel. I am really grateful for the adventurous life in Hebron. Generally, there is nothing dangerous about going to Palestine, although as a woman you need to be more careful. For example, I avoided speaking with random men on the street or with taxi drivers a lot, especially after the sunset. They are all very nice people but they are not used to the foreigners. So sometimes they may see your kindness as a flirtation and you might risk some harassment as a woman. But if you are careful and respectful of the local traditions, you will feel really safe in Palestine. The food in Palestine is very delicious. I fell in love with Falafels, the local bread, and with different kinds of the “dips” such as hummus, “baba ganoush” and the local olive oil. Also with the local tea with lots of sugar and local spices - it’s a real paradise! Every morning we took a breakfast together in the Center and it was the best way to start the day. After volunteering in Palestine I would recommend it to everybody who wants to help the locals to improve their English, and anyone who wants to discover the local culture. I think it is important to say that Palestine is not the same as we know it from the media. The most interesting part for me was visiting the locations around the Israeli settlements, and also the separation wall in Bethlehem. The political situation is really complex. On a daily basis you cannot see anything special and it may look like a peaceful environment, but around those particular places you can always feel how difficult the life for Palestinian people is and what things they have to face. It was an unforgettable experience for me and I am really happy I went there. Inshallah I will visit Palestine in future again !

Nobody can deny that traveling to different countries is an invaluable experience that brings uncountable positive benefits to our lives. Even when negative moments might happen, those moments also bring a significant input in our lives. I am Mexican and, as many of us in this mosaicked world, I have always enjoy traveling, either around my country or to others.
As travelers, we experienced positive and negatives culture shocks. I experience several when I studied my Master degree in Finland. The Mexican and the Finnish cultures seem to be opposite. Nevertheless, after some months in the country I was able to find some similarities.
When I arrived in Palestine, I felt amazed by how similar the Palestinian culture was to mine. However, as days went by, I started to be aware that we are, at certain degree, different. In Mexico we proudly say “Mi casa es tu casa” - my place is your place-, we do not hesitate to show off that we are very hospitable. Palestinians take hospitality to such a different level, that I have to clearly state that I was shocked in a positive way.
I stayed in a home where my host brother lived with his parents and sister. Despite the language barrier (I do not speak Arabic and, except for my host brother, they do not speak English) their welcoming spirit and warmness was always around. As it is very well-known, Arab culture is very family oriented, and the house in my host family was not the exception. Every day, at least two of the 22 nieces and nephews of my host brother were around. It was a lovely experience to see them surrounding me, smiling with their lovely curious eyes, trying to make a conversation while, at the same time, teaching me some words in Arabic.
The words learnt with the relatives of my host family were not the only ones I learnt during my staying. Despite my short time in Hebron, I had the opportunity to take some hours of Arabic lessons. My Arabic teacher was a sweet young lady who was very enthusiastic. She really cared to teach me the essential daily phrases. Learning them was easier as all the staff in the center were greeting me in Arabic and were always patient and keen to correct my pronunciation and teach extra vocabulary.
The atmosphere in the center is always nice and friendly. This comes from the staff, the Arabic students, and the volunteers which make to have warm memories from them. Thanks to the eagerness of the staff to show us the Palestinian culture, I was able to travel to different cities around. For instance, we spent a lovely Friday hiking in a hill surrounded by an outstanding landscape, then, enjoying a nice falafel lunch in Bethlehem. Another interesting visit was when we went all together to the Dead Sea and enjoy a delicious BBQ prepared by all of us.
This is my first experience in an Arab country and I came with the high expectation to find the famous Arab hospitality. Undoubtedly, I lived it. I spent a short time in Hebron, but this is was not a problem for taking from this place and their warm and kind people great memories.

My name is KlaudiaLewonczyk and I am from Poland. Currently, I study in Germany in the field of business administration. Around one year ago by accident I visited the website of the Excellence Center. I spent a good amount of time reading all the information about Hebron and watching interviews with volunteers. I found it very interesting and I set up a goal to one-day visit Palestine. One of my dreams was always to spend Christmas in Jerusalem. This year I had a longer Christmas break and I decided to make my two goals happen.

In the beginning of my Palestinian adventure I spent 5 nights in the old town of Jerusalem. I could enjoy the Christmas atmosphere and wonder around the city, exploring small neighborhoods, interesting streets and experiencing life on the one side of the wall.

Getting to Hebron was very easy. I took a bus from the Damascus Gate to Bethlehem and from there a shared taxi to Hebron. Any time I had a doubt if I am going in the right directions, people were helping me. I don’t know any Arabic but I didn’t have any problems with communication. The shared taxi driver dropped me in the front of the Excellence Center. I arrived fast and safe to Hebron.

From the first day I felt very welcomed both in the center and also in Hebron. With my host family I have a feeling that I found a second home in Palestine. Back in PolandI have only one, older brother and honestly I always wished for a bigger family. In Palestine most of the families are very big comparing to those in Europe. In my family in Hebron I have 3 sisters (one is already married) and 3 brothers. It is such a wonderful feeling when your 5 years old host brother is waiting for you, and with smile on his face proudly saying the English words that he learnt. My host mom is a great housewife who cooks the best Palestinian food. Indeed, when you are in Palestine forget about diet. The food here is amazing! My host sisters are the best sisters I could wish for. In the evenings we talk, laugh and tell stories about traditions in our countries. The possibility of staying with a Palestinian family is one of the biggest advantages that the Excellence Center offers. Living the daily life of Palestinian people opened my mind on many things I had no idea before.

When it comes to the activities in the center, believe me, you won’t be bored! In Hebron for the first time I had the opportunity to take Arabic classes. The two weeks spent here allowed me to learn basic grammar rules and useful expressions in the shop or taxi. I was so proud to finally be able to tell my taxi driver where I want to go without showing him address written on the piece of paper. As a volunteer, I helped with organizing workshops and lessons for students from Hebron. I met many great and kind people, who were very curios about my country. During my time in Palestine, together with other people from the center we visited Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jericho. And of course, we were exploring Hebron and its great shopping places in the old part of the city.

This short text about my experience in Hebron would not be completedwithout mentioning the amazing atmosphere in the center. All the staff members are friendly, warm and hospitable. After leaving Palestine I will miss so many things, including beautiful landscapes, delicious food but most importantly the people. Although, I spent only 2 weeks in Hebron, I think these friendships will last forever.

My name is Maya and I am currently doing my masters in humanitarian action at the university of Geneva. I volunteered at the Excellence Center by sharing some teaching techniques to local teachers, encouraging university students to learn English and writing articles about my experience in Palestine.

Unfortunately, my time in Hebron was much too short. In hindsight, I would have chosen a time where I can stay for at least a month and preferably in summer.

At the center, there are volunteers and Arabic learners. Unlike the latter, Volunteers do not have consistent schedules. Some days I would start at 11 am and finish at 6pm and others, I would start and 9am and be off at 3pm. It all depends on the weekly schedule we are given.

Throughout the week, the center organizes small trips to the sights that must be visited. On Fridays, the Center organizes longer trips to other cities in Palestine. I strongly recommend going with the group as they take you to certain secluded and unique areas that are not mentioned in the mainstream sights to see.

I was fortunate enough to be in Palestine for Christmas and didn't miss the opportunity to be in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. Naturally, it was fairly crowded but the atmosphere was festive and very enjoyable. The Center was kind enough to give us Christmas day off so I ventured with another volunteer to Jerusalem and roved the old city for hours. I was surprised to see foreigners carrying large wooden crosses around Jerusalem. I suppose it is some kind of pilgrimage that simulates the Christ's path to his crucifixion (?)

In Hebron, I live with a host family that will go above and beyond to ensure my comfort and happiness. They have two highly active children (whom I share the bedroom with) and always have delicious meals ready for when I get home. They invited me to join them to a relative's wedding in Jericho. It was my first time attending a conservative, traditional wedding with the women separate from the men and I truly enjoyed the experience.

With regards to the security in Palestine, the only time I felt slightly ill at ease was during our trip to a street where the occupation is extremely visible – Alshohada street. A young settler was doing his daily jogging with a riffle around his chest which to some, can be quite shocking. I strongly recommend to all visitors to take a stroll on this street for many reasons but I will let you figure out why for yourself!

Whether you are planning on learning Arabic or volunteering in Hebron, I would truly recommend the Excellence Center. The staff is kind and professional, the activities are fun and the overall experience is very enriching.

I have always wanted to go to Palestine, but I was hesitating because of all things people are always talking about. Concerns about safety, culture, language… and about all that I just have to say: if you haven't experienced it, then don't dare to talk about it.

Getting to the Excellence Center was so easy! I felt safe at all times and people were friendly and welcoming. It was not the horrible experience everyone had told me about. From the moment I got into the van to Hebron I felt safe and welcomed. Once I walked through the door everything was even better. Marwa welcomed me and showed me the center, we had some tea and then started talking about how the center works.

We had lunch, she introduced me to the staff and my host family.
I didn't know a word of Arabic and still was feeling like home.
Everyone is nice and they do their best to make you feel comfortable.

They took us for a walk, we visited a glass factory and it was so amazing to see that kind of work directly in the place. I really had such a good time.

There are no enough words to express how grateful I am to them. I felt like home, people are awesome, food was amazing. I even had Arabic lesson with the most wonderful teacher ever. She was patient, kind and encouraging.

So if you are hearing all those who haven't been in Palestine, please stop it and pay attention to this: coming to Palestine was one of the best decisions. Please stop letting people feed fears, just come and be prepared to have one of the best experiences ever.

After three winters of revision for English literature exams I felt the need to warm up, literally and figuratively, for what people call ‘the real world’. Whilst I had no ambitions at all as an activist, I was looking forward to helping out in a West Bank community and learning something about living in a less than ideal political situation. My university essays had been read by a single, presumably rather bored tutor, I thought, it would feel good to do something likely to make slightly larger ripples.

The seven days I gave myself between my first click on the Centre website, and arrival in Tel Aviv weren’t exactly stress free, but there were enough youtube videos of happy, normal looking volunteers to keep me satisfied. What’s more, the problems that I encountered at the beginning of my trip were not ones that more days of preparation could have avoided. My dark eyes and olive complexion, combined with a passport carrying a stamp for two months in Morocco fated me to a long wait and an even longer series of questions. Perhaps it’s a good thing that I don’t sleep on overnight flights, since when my bags were impounded for five days in Tel Aviv, my irritation was somewhat dulled.

Thankfully, with the exception of my laptop, once here I felt that I could quite well do without my things. The whole experience of being looked after by a host family and by the Centre felt roughly analogous to the fleecy pink jumpsuit I was lent by my host mother to use as pyjamas. Relaxed, comfortable, and often exuberant: Palestine fitted well enough.

An important factor in my newfound contentedness was the food. I did not consider traditional, Palestinian breakfast at the Centre a poor exchange at all for my eight a.m. start. Flat bread, eggs, humous, falafel, soft cheese, tabouleh, and cakes with tea and coffee, is an undeniably good way to start the day. Between mouthfuls, breakfast is also a good chance to catch up with everyone at the Centre. Chat is conducted in a melange of English, dialect and classical Arabic, covering topics as broad as may be expected from the range of people at the Centre, from the European refugee crisis and US politics, to the local gym and who may or may not be whose habibi.

Breakfast, and Friday holidays are about the only constants in the very varied time table of staff and volunteers at the Centre. I usually spend mornings in meetings and writing and editing articles, but I’ve also helped conduct interviews for new staff members, participated in teacher training programmes, and assisted with oral exams. In the afternoons, twice per week for hour and a half periods, I take Arabic classes in dialect and MSA, which are regular enough but equally varied in content, often involving different media, from music to news articles. Afternoons are mostly spent teaching however, either in the Centre, or at local universities and schools. Trips to teach in local educational establishments are a great chance to see a bit more of the infrastructure here, and invariably involve invites to coffee or lunch by staff members delighted to welcome internationals.

Unsurprisingly, though, my favourite afternoons are spent on trips with the Centre. Though I enjoyed trips with a friend who I (easily) persuaded to visited from home, there’s nothing better than being shown somewhere new by a local, especially in a place as complex and politically charged as Palestine. With the Centre we visited the Old City and the famous ‘sterile street’, Al-Shahada where staff explained how restrictions imposed after 1967 had resulted in a mass exodus of Palestinians. We hiked in the nearby agricultural village of Battir, and visited a local refugee camp, Fawwar. We ate with Bedouin living in the village of Sussia and discussed residents’ struggle to retain the land after their wells and the caves that were their homes were destroyed by the ISF.

I feel very grateful to the people I have met here who have been so generous with tea, maklouba, and most of all the wonderful and sometimes terrible stories about their lives. I am delighted to recommend the Excellence Centre to anyone willing to get stuck in, and I guarantee you will get a lot back.