ِِA Month to Remember in Hebron

My name is Elissa and I am from the US. I am a university student, and I study International Relations and Arabic. I was at the Excellence Center for one month taking Arabic language classes.

The Arabic lessons at the Excellence Center are incredible. I have taken Arabic as part of my degree at university for two and a half years and I have also studied abroad in Oman, but I have never learned so much so quickly as I have at the Excellence Center. All of the Arabic classes I have taken in the past have been Modern Standard Arabic, but I decided that during my time in Hebron I wanted an introduction to the Palestinian dialect as well. I was able to arrange this with my teacher and create a customised programme which allowed me to study exactly what I wanted. My first week, I didn't understand anything when my teacher or host family would speak to me in dialect. Now, almost three weeks later, I am able to understand much more than I was at the beginning. I am very pleased with the amount of progress I have made at the Excellence Center.

The environment at the Center has really added to my experience here. I have never been in a learning environment that felt so much like a family. Every week, everyone at the Center stays late and cooks and eats dinner together, followed by coffee, shisha, and long conversations. I am very comfortable asking any member of staff any question I have or about anything I need. They are very knowledgeable about the city and about travelling around Palestine, and everyone goes out of their way to make sure you are comfortable.

While I was in Palestine, the Center also arranged trips to Bethlehem and Jericho. We visited the dead sea and had a barbecue together, and on the way saw monasteries, historic sites, and lots of camels! We will go on another trip to Ramallah before I leave, and I am looking forward to it very much as I know I will be in good company.

On my own and with friends I made at the Center, I also took trips to Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jerusalem and Nablus. Travelling in Palestine has been very easy, and all of the people are very willing to help, even if they speak limited English. I was able to spend Christmas Eve in Bethlehem and Christmas Day in Jerusalem, which was an incredible opportunity. I also spent New Years with a Palestinian family who invited me to stay in Nablus with them. Every city is different, and I have loved experiencing each of them.

One of the main reasons I chose the Excellence Center was because of the opportunity to live with a host family. My host family became like my own family while I was in Hebron, and I was treated like one of their own daughters. It made me feel very safe to know that I had a family looking out for me, and they taught me how to safely get to and from the Center. Although I was warned about safety issues before coming, I have never felt unsafe during my time in Palestine. I feel more safe in Palestine than I do in large cities in the US and Europe.

My favourite thing about Palestine has been the people. Palestine is beautiful, but it is the people here that make it so special. Everyone I have met has welcomed me with incredible generosity and hospitality. I feel like I have many people who care about me and my safety, and who are looking out for me. When you are in a new place, there is nothing better than being welcomed so warmly and being told that while you are here, you are home and this is your family.