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

Wow, what a place Palestine is. My time there was a truly transformative and unforgettable experience. As soon as I arrived, the Excellence Center made me feel like a member of the family. I learned Arabic with a great teacher. From the first class the teaching was very personalised, and I improved swiftly. The classes were fun and light-hearted, more like two friends hanging out than a teacher-student relationship! I also greatly enjoyed teaching the local Palestinian students. They were very bright and eager to learn, and it was a hugely satisfying experience making a positive contribution to their lives. I was given help and guidelines with which to teach, but also a lot of creative freedom in how I taught. As for Hebron itself, it was an amazing city with a real pulse and energy. Everyone was welcoming and friendly. Despite the difficult situation, I felt completely safe the whole time. I can honestly say there was no moment when I felt threatened or in any danger. In Hebron life goes on as normal, and everyone tries to make the most of it. For anyone thinking of enrolling in this program, I'd say this-do it. You won't regret it!

My name is Sascha Kochendoerfer, 28 years old and I am studying Integrated Water Resources Management in Cologne, Germany. I came to Palestine at the first of August and stayed at the center until the end of August but in Hebron in general until the end of October. I took the 60 hour one-on-one spoken Arabic course at the center. I took this course to learn spoken Arabic for job opportunities and because I will definitely return for travelling. Talking to people in their native language always creates a completely different atmosphere and shows appreciation for country and culture. At no point during my stay in Hebron I even felt remotely unsafe. If you want you can spent your time in Hebron without even noticing that it is a rather controversial place. But I can only recommend to visit the settlements and see for yourself how life is there for both sides and how this environment shapes the people there. All the people that you meet on the street or just in the money exchange shop are very outgoing and generous. Everyone asks from where you are, how you like Hebron and if you would like to drink coffee before they ask for your name. Two years before I came here, I attended an introductory course to standard Arabic. I learned reading, writing and pronouncing. In my opinion this helped a lot because learning the alphabet and pronunciation takes time that you can better spend learning new words or sayings. I think our evenings in the coffee shops smoking shisha, playing cards and cooking together for the regular food days, are the most important memories that I will take home with me. But it is actually hard to decide, since I have many amazing memories. I met so many beautiful people with whom I could joke and laugh for hours. All the staff is so funny and nice and will help you whenever you any need help. My time here was really important for personal growth and seeing the conflict not only from a scientific or historical point of view but also from an emotional one.

I am an international student from Singapore studying in Jerusalem. During the Passover vacation I decided to volunteer at Excellence Center in Hebron. I had harbored many ideas about Hebron and about Palestine but my 3 week-long experience at the center made me discard some notions and rethink many others. If I could sum it all up in one word, it was "immersive". I arrived on the first day to a bustling city (the largest in Palestine) with its 800,000 occupants and religious underpinnings. I was given adequate guidance from Jerusalem where I was studying abroad to the center.

Upon arrival, I was greeted warmly by the management of the center and the pleasant staff that worked there. Behind the concrete façade of the building located on Ein Sara street (the main street in Hebron), on the 3rd floor, was a nice center with 3 classrooms and a pantry. I was little lost from the whirling intake of everything from the start but the helpful staff as well as my fellow volunteers (who were already experienced) got me on my feet in no time. After a little orientation, I was up and ready to start teaching.

The apartment arranged for me was pleasant – being a male volunteer, I didn’t stay in the same apartment as my host family due to inconveniences but rather I resided in an apartment on the ground floor while they lived above. The apartment came furnished with a washing machine, stove, a shower, beds, utensils and despite being spartan, it covered all the basic necessities. My host family was great and though hardly fluent in English, it contributed enormously to my experience as I learned a great deal of the Arabic language. Also, it was a very real experience which did not seek to mask the existent barrier of language between cultures. Where language was a barrier, though, race and ethnicity were not. The hospitality of my host family bridged the holes left in communication and almost every night I would be invited into their home to chat and have a cup (or many cups) of coffee or tea, along with snacks. Occasionally I would be welcome for a hearty home-cooked Arab meal. It was an experience indeed.
At the start, I was consigned to writing articles for the center's website and to being an assistant teacher in other classes. The classes with a lower in English would have an Arab teacher and the internationals would be expected to help out to improve pronunciation or conversational skills while the more advanced classes were taught entirely by the international volunteers. The schedule was usually rolled out and classes were assigned a few days before. Asides from the regular classes assigned to us which were pretty much constant, a few beginner lessons were thrown into the mix where we would help the Arab teachers with the lesson. Additionally, there is a program infamously named "60 minutes" among the staff at the center where we would travel to a school in (or outside) the neighborhood to teach students at a school for an hour. It was eye-opening to see how the schools are run and the varying types of classes (girls-only/boys-only and government/private).

A highlight for backpacking tourists and eager culture-fanatics alike will definitely be the Arabic lessons we receive from the center. Every week, we have 2-3 lessons of Arabic while being constantly immersed in an Arabic-speaking environment all the time. The breaking of cultural barriers and the experience of that assimilation is unparalleled. The lessons themselves are professional, and though I opted to learn only the colloquial aspect due to my limited time, volunteers who teach for an extended period of time can be trained in reading and writing by native speakers of the language. A point to note is that the Excellence Center is well known for its Arabic language instruction and TIPH (Temporary International Presence in Hebron) sends its emissaries and observers to study the language here. Within a week and a half, I was able to hold very basic conversations with the locals and introduce myself proficiently, which attests to the outstanding teachers they have here.

Another highlight was undoubtedly the trips we took around Palestine and the territories around it. I got to see Jericho, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem, and the Al Fuwar refugee camp which lay on the outskirts of Hebron, not to mention the highly contested border between Israel and Palestine within the Old City of Hebron itself, which is marked by the famous historical and religious site of the Cave of Patriarchs.

The experience of teaching in Hebron never sought to hide the underlying tension of the Occupation, and although I shall not divulge my perspective of it here and rather maintain a neutral viewpoint, I got to see the cause of the inter-state tension from both sides as well as some of the resultant cultural repercussions. It is indeed difficult to view the issue with untainted lenses when touring with the local guides, yet as an international volunteer I find that it is my duty to view the issue neutrally and having international volunteers with me provided some perspective as well. The experience of teaching together with other internationals didn’t mask the culture – rather, it brought out all its flavors: how it strived, how it thrived, and how it left an impression on all our hearts.

The people were the most amazing point of the entire duration – the students, the staff, the fellow volunteers. All in all, if you are looking for an experience that provides a well-organized stay in Palestine and more meaningful consistency than merely city-hopping, but doesn’t dull the flavors of the beautiful Palestinian experience, this is the right place to be.

When I first arrived in Palestine, I felt quite uncertain due to being in this new and foreign environment as well as knowing the situation surrounding me, politically speaking. Within a very short space of time though, I discovered that these feelings were quite unfounded. Palestine is an incredibly rich and beautiful land with people so warm and welcoming, I couldn’t believe I felt so worried beforehand.

Safety is always a concern whenever you travel, but this is the case for any destination around the world. Just as you would avoid going to certain areas past certain times at night in Europe or Asia, you do the same here – if you keep your wits about you, you will be absolutely fine. This is because no matter where you are, or who you are for that matter, there is always someone willing to help you find your way. “Welcome to Palestine!” they’ll shout out to you when you walk down the street; “You must come visit my family” others will say; and you will simply be left astounded at the caring nature of these people towards a complete stranger. In Palestine, I honestly feel at home.

I was based at the Excellence Center in the city of Hebron where I was assisting a number of teachers with their English classes. The Center offers a wide variety of English preparation courses for people of all ages who seek to improve their language skills; in my time, I was assisting one of the Center’s regular teachers Ibrahim Abueisheh with his Beginner and Intermediate classes as well as several of his private classes. I had also taken on a private student of my own, who wanted to build up his conversational English to use in his business. There were also times when I found myself free and a teacher required assistance and so I would jump in and help where I could. I myself was not teacher back home, however I found teaching to be a great learning experience – especially when there is a language barrier, as it forces you to become creative and innovative in getting your points and ideas across.

Teaching is your primary role at the Center, but this role provides an invaluable opportunity to socialize with and to learn more about Palestinians. No matter the size of the class, every students wants to learn more about you and in turn share more about themselves. Even the teachers themselves are so willing and open to share their stories and experiences over breakfast or tea. It’s a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere that makes teaching and working such a delight. The students themselves love talking with you, and often invite you to their homes for dinner or to meet their families.

Being based in Hebron, I initially spent my time exploring this city and its surrounding regions. As I grew more comfortable, I started visiting several of the other major Palestinian cities including Bethlehem, Ramallah and East Jerusalem. I will be travelling extensively over my last week to Ramallah once again, Nablus, Qalqilya and Jericho.

I implore anyone visiting the West Bank to explore as much of the region and to soak up as much of the history as you can. Each city holds an incredible amount of historical significance that can only be discovered through venturing out and exploring. Bethlehem, Jericho and even Hebron itself hold some of the most astounding historical sites in the world. Each city though has its own unique charm, and chatting to people and walking through the streets of each one is its own delight.

As part of my time in the Center, I took beginner Arabic classes with one of the Center’s teachers, Ala Doudin. I used to speak Arabic when I was a child, but slowly forgot most of it, so it felt very good getting back into this language. Ala’s classes proved very useful in daily life, but most especially when travelling to other cities. In my experience, I found that conversing with Palestinians in even broken Arabic goes a long way and so learning Arabic was also a great way to indirectly connect with the people around me.

My living arrangement was very well-organized. I was living in an apartment belonging to the host family, who lived on the floor above me. This allowed for regular interaction with the family, and their wonderful kids but also meant I could have my privacy whenever I wanted it. It was always such great fun to come home from work and play around with the family kids whenever they were outside – not many spoke English which made things even more fun! I was always welcomed into their home, and was never allowed to leave until I had at least 3 cups of tea. They were really caring towards me, and were always ready to help out with anything I might have needed. Its one thing working in Palestine, but it is another thing entirely to live with a Palestinian family, and I cannot recommend it enough.

I absolutely loved my time in Palestine; so much so that I don’t want to go home! The warmth of the people, the beauty of the surrounding areas and the richness of the culture and history have all allowed me to develop a special love for Palestine. There is just so much that isn’t said about this area, and so much of what is said just isn’t true. Every day brings with it a new adventure: either a new story, a new area visited, or new food to taste. Every city brings its own charm and character. There is just so much more to Palestine than I had ever imagined, and I absolutely loved that.

Palestine – A Precious Experience

By Iram and Arshad

Palestine has always been the centre of history and politics for centuries. Arshad and Me, live in Australia and like most couples dreamed of travelling to see historical sites around the world. We decided to start our journey with Palestine and after spending nearly four week here, it’s hard for us to say goodbye to the wonderful people and the lovely places of Palestine. The smell of freshly baked bread, zaatar and olives each morning, the busy streets filled with cheerful faces ready to take on the day, the smell of coffee of the cool wintery mornings, all of these sounds and smells will be treasured in our memories.
The people of Palestine need no introduction. They are one of the most resilient and hard working people who are humble, loving and affectionate. Every elderly lady we met blessed us, every young person we came across cherished our company and every child we taught, thanked us. We believe that Palestinians are gracious people who honour their guests more than anything.

During our stay in Palestine, we conducted a range of workshops. From young school students of grade 6 to high school students we taught children in classroom settings and taught them creative writing. Various strategies like Think, Pair and Share, Cooperative Learning, Joint Construction of Text, Modelled and Guided Writing etc were used throughout the series of workshops. A variety of games were introduced to enhance the listening and conversational skills amongst the students. Another series of workshops was conducted that targeted the written communication skills of students from various Universities. They attended workshops that helped them in preparing for their Resume’ and job interviews. These were essential skills for students who were preparing for potential job opportunities.

During our weekends we travelled to Tel Aviv, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Nazareth, Jericho and some other small towns and villages. We spent most of our time in Hebron. The scenery around Palestine is breathtakingly beautiful. The magnificence of the green orchards of Grapes, Dates, Olives and Mangoes, the hilly terrains and the vast plains are almost indescribable. Besides visiting the many historical and religious sites, we loved travelling through the country because of the rich culture, simplicity and hospitality of the people.
There are two sides to all Palestinians. On one hand we found them as very generous and kind and on the other hand, they are resilient and determined. The love for gaining knowledge is admirable.

During the various conversations we had with students at Excellence Centre, I found that each student strives to excel academically and grabs any opportunity that is offered, to work hard and achieve their goals. Excellence Centre helps to make students’ dreams come true through their Learn English Program. Different levels of English courses offered at the Centre, provide different paces of learning.

The volunteers at the Excellence Centre are given the opportunity to learn Arabic to completely immerse in the culture. We had Arabic lessons at least 3 times a week with an excellent teacher who helped us to learn conversational Arabic. We completed a starter level course and were able to make simple conversation in Arabic language. The staff and administrators of the centre are very friendly and accommodating. They always display professionalism and hospitality towards their teachers and volunteers. The centre was a home away from home for us and we built lifelong friendships with all staff and most of the students we came in contact with. The positive environment around the centre is its key to success.

The local delicacies were too good to be missed. The food here is prepared fresh and tastes amazing. Maklube, Mansaf, Kebabs, Felafel, Baklava and Khunaifa are the best delicacies and desserts cooked here. The city is full of affordable restaurants and food kiosks, that left us spoilt for choice.

It is important to mention that our host family was the friendliest and full of generosity for us. They looked after us like their own family and treated us to the most delicious home cooked meals. Their love and warmth kept us upbeat and excited each day. They shared their home and their extended family with us and each night we looked forward to the discussions over tea and coffee. We feel indebted to them.

Our experience in Palestine has been one that is hard to put on paper. The true experience will be in our dreams and memories. Our heart is heavy as we say goodbye to this beautiful land and even more beautiful people. Palestine is not what is portrayed in the media. Its streets are full of life and colour. The hustle and bustle of the old city is an experience that you can only have when you walk through the small cobbled streets, children playing on the streets, taxis passing through unimaginably tiny spaces and women chattering away on their way to the market, you often wonder if this is the Palestine you were afraid to visit.

A sigh of relief goes through my heart when I think of the day that we decided to visit Palestine. Indeed, it was a decision that I will gladly make again.

Sara Amin
London, United Kingdom
Currently pursuing BA History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies

My time in Palestine has been the most life-changing period I've been fortunate enough to experience. I had no expectations for my time in Palestine, I've been exposed to the culture and the conflict in a way I didn't expect to in that it's been entirely safe for me to live here but also available as a source to explore the kind of situation local Palestinians experience on a daily basis.
My host family have been a valuable asset to my experience here. Living in the tumultuous area of Tel Rumeida, where Palestinians live on the periphery of H2, could have been a much tougher experience had it not been for the comfort and security of my host family, who allowed me to experience what they do on a daily basis within the extent of safety. They were extremely kind, and made me feel at home instantly, which was an important part of my temporary integration into Palestinian life.
A typical day in Hebron for me would consist of walking down Tel Rumeida to the infamous Shuhada checkpoint and Bab-Azoui, where I would either walk or catch a taxi through the city Center to the Excellence Center on Ein Sara Street. Depending on what was planned that day, a typical day could range from teaching for a couple of hours and attending a wedding in the evening with your host family, or taking trips with the Center to some important local sites such as Al Fwarr refugee camp.
One of my favourite aspects of the stay here in Palestine have been all the warm and welcoming people I've been so fortunate enough to spend my time with and make each day a thorough experience. I felt rooted from the moment I arrived and I truly feel that this helped me in the way that I communicated with the students here at the Center. Feeling at home is such an important aspect of how you go on to interact with others and I feel this was the biggest factor in my success here.
I'm not a native Arabic speaker either and so I was worried that this would hinder my ability to feel at home here in Palestine. Fortunately I experienced the complete opposite, the sheer effort the students put into learning English is beyond encouraging in my efforts to learn Arabic, and everyone I met was more than willing to help me along.
I was able to see other cities in Palestine, but Hebron will always mean much more to me than anywhere else I may stay in the future. It has a distinctive atmosphere, a distinctive set of people and I can't imagine anywhere else I would have wanted to spend this month. It has truly been the best experience I've had, and I'll keep an encapsulated memory of this city forever.

Sara Amin

Coming to volunteer in Palestine this summer turned out to be an obvious choice for me. I was wishing to truly rediscover this country through its culture and everyday life by staying in a Palestinian host family. But more than anything, I wanted to give my time and energy to the Palestinian community which had been so welcoming and generous with me during my previous journeys in the country. And obviously, when you are aware of the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and its consequences on the Palestinian daily life, you can’t remain inactive. To me, education, and more precisely English teaching, was the best thing I could offer to the Palestinian youth because it is giving them the tools to succeed in the future. It is why I chose to volunteer, as an English teacher, at the Excellence Center in Hebron for one month and a half during my summer holidays. I will never regret this choice, it was a unique and unforgettable experience in which I learned much more than I could ever have expected. My stay here was extraordinary in all its aspects.

First of all, working in Excellence Center was professionally excessively interesting. I learned about interactive teaching methods through short trainings but mainly by observing Palestinian teachers and practicing right after my arrival at the Center. My teaching experiences were very varied. I taught students of different levels (starters, beginners and intermediates), I was either a teacher assistant or, most of the time, the main teacher with one or two other volunteers. I had recurrent classes with allowed me to get to know the students well but I also took part in CV and job interview day-trainings with university students. During the regular classes we followed lessons of the class materials but the meetings were mainly based on experience and interactive activities such as games, conversations, food days, presentations, debates or tours in the Old City of Hebron. All the activities were thought in order to improve the students ‘confidence and create a family atmosphere in which both children and young adults would feel confident to exercise their English orally. The more they felt self-assured, the more they spoke and the more they improved their conversational English, accent and vocabulary. It was a pleasure for me to teach using these methods as I totally agree with the Center ‘values and conception of education. In addition, it was a privilege to work in these conditions: the classes were small (not more than 15 students) and the students very motivated by the fact that the Center is an independent structure from their school, in which they all get importance and recognition.

Secondly, my stay in Palestine was humanly extremely rich. The Excellence Center is very professional and at the same time a big family. It is a small structure in which everybody knows each other. The staff knew how to build this cohesion between all the members and foreign volunteers by organizing unforgettable trips, as a night in the village of Susya, where we experienced the Bedouin life-style. This good atmosphere in the Center allowed us to get along well with each other in teaching the students. The communication and goodwill between us was a necessary basis for teaching together and improving our skills. And obviously, sharing good and fun moments with all the staff was part of the amazing experiences of my stay in Hebron. Furthermore, I had the feeling that Excellence Center trusted me. Rafat gave me the necessary tools to teach and then let me act with my ideas and creativity as long as I would follow the Center‘s way of teaching. I felt very useful and free in the teaching. My experiences with the students were unforgettable. They all showed me intense motivation to learn English and nothing was more grateful to me than seeing them interested, implicated and improving their language. Teaching conversational English gave me the opportunity to converse a lot with them, to learn about their daily lives, relation to religion, feelings towards occupation and hopes for an independent Palestinian state. They were also very curious about international volunteers and wanted to know more about us, it was an incredible cultural and human exchange. The Excellence Center, through many trips, was willing to show us the hard living conditions Palestinians face every day due to occupation. I was profoundly touched to see these difficulties from the inside, for instance, in Al-Fawar Refugee Camp, the village of Susya or the Old City of Hebron. But faced with these situations, I was very contented to be with the Excellence Center. Indeed, as volunteers, we were not in the position of passive tourists passively observing these conditions but actually taking part in the efforts to help the community of Hebron.

Finally, staying in a Palestinian host family was one of the richest experiences of my life. I could not be more immersed in the Palestinian culture and everyday life. The parents and children really considered me as a member of their family and were very protective which made me feel always safe. I was cooking ‘khobez’ and Palestinian sweets with my host mother, playing football with the boys and other kids of the village, I celebrated Eid Al-Iftar in a big family gathering and visited the Old City of Bethlehem with them. I learned to communicate despite the language barrier, even though the Arabic classes I was attending at the Center helped a lot. All my life I will remember these long hours spent on the rooftop with the family at night time when the weather was cooler, sharing tea, great discussions and guitar songs.

Volunteering in Palestine and more precisely working at the Excellence Center was an extraordinary give and take experience. I learned about formal and conversational English teaching and that improving the student’s confidence in English was the best way to make them get better. Obviously I improved my own English level. But the confidence of the Excellence Center ‘staff and the recognition & thanks of the students were the best immaterial gifts I could receive as a teacher. All the generous and welcoming people I met, especially in the Center and my host family, considered me as a part of their group and at the end of my stay in Hebron, I did not feel like a stranger anymore. I truly hope that the teaching and motivation that I brought to the Center were up to all the things I received here. I had the profound willingness to help the Palestinian youth community which represents the future hopes of Palestine. I will surely come back to visit all the new friends I made here and to discover even more about this fascinating country and its people.

My experience with the Excellence Center has been very gratifying and enjoyable. The program is well designed to provide the maximum learning and growing experience for the students, volunteers and staff. The Center provides a warm, comfortable and caring environment to allow for very productive learning and sharing.
The key to the program is their approach to be supportive and caring about each individual and meet them at whatever level they are on. This is true whether the student is a basic beginner or is very fluent in English or Arabic. All of the supportive and constructive comments encourage the students and volunteers to grow. All the warmth and laughter adds to the positive energy found at the Center. Shokrn and Hayak Allah to Rafat and the staff for creating the momtaz learning environment.
The Arabic lesson and assisting with English classes have helped me to grow in a gradual step-by-step manner from observing in a class, to participating and leading discussions on a wide range of topics. This has allowed me to grow in my ability to teach English Language Learners and has also given me a chance to learn about the culture and lives of Palestinians. The Excellence Center has also been most helpful in arranging the program, Getting Involved With Science”, that I presented to students and teachers of Hebron.
Not only has the Excellence Center provided me the opportunity to grow as an English teacher, but hey have also helped me develop my learning of Arabic. The long lesson I had provided me with excellent instructions and materials at my level of knowledge. Beyond the class the staff encouraged me to speak and respond to Arabic throughout the everyday activities at the Center. This has been a very good learning experience and my knowledge and understanding of Arabic has grown even though I have only been here for a very short time.
The Center has also provided trips and activities that have broadened my experience of Arabic and world cultures. Bringing in volunteers from all over the world has provided a rich sharing environment. Discussions in lessons, and even coffee and tea breaks become a valuable forum for intercultural sharing and understanding. The Center has also taken me on trips to the local area from the refugee settlement to the homes of many Palestinians that has opened my eyes to their rich and proud culture.
Lastly the Excellence Center has provided comfortable accommodations with caring assistance for anything I needed to live and thrive. They have been most helpful and given me personal attention whenever I needed assistance in areas as varied as transportation, personal needs, and the material I needed for my workshop. Thanks so much (Shokrn Jazeelan) for a wonderful learning environment and complete lessons on culture, teaching, and Arabic. I look forward to keeping in touch and supporting your program in the future.