Experience in Hebron

At the Excellence Center, I took part in the Teach For Palestine Program and completed a Media and Communications Internship with Go Palestine. I spent the majority of my two months writing informative articles about Palestinian history, people, and culture. The goal of these articles was to increase knowledge and international interest in Palestine, and hopefully the number of foreign volunteers, interns, and tourists to the region. Additionally, I taught conversational English language classes to individuals and groups both at the Center in Hebron and in local villages. Lastly, I took introductory level Arabic courses at the Center with a native Arabic speaker. I was able to learn the Arabic alphabet and the basics of conversational Ammiya arabic. Arabic is certainly a difficult language and I would recommend that, in order to have a more fruitful experience, future volunteers begin learning the basics of Shammi Arabic and the alphabet before coming to Palestine. Doing so would make the lessons much more effective.

Outside of my responsibilities at the Center, I formed a Hebron-based collective of musicians and artists known as “Al-Khalil Arts Collective.” We hosted our first DIY community, art, and music event at the Center, which featured the work of local visual artists and showcased live musical performances. The purpose of establishing this collective was to provide local creatives and community members with an outlet for creative expression with the goal of affecting social change through events that are low-cost, replicable, and inclusive. Al-Khalil Arts Collective intends to continue hosting creative community events in Hebron in the future. Throughout the process, the staff of the Excellence Center was incredibly supportive and willing to work with me to turn my ideas into a reality.

I really enjoyed volunteering and interning at the Excellence Center in Hebron. The staff and teachers were incredibly accommodating and kind. I specifically enjoyed working with Marwa, Khitem, and Osama, who made it a priority to make me and other internationals feel comfortable, welcome, and successful at the Center. The students I taught at the Center were also very respectful, hardworking, and engaged in all of my classes. Outside of the classroom, Marwa and Khitem arrange cultural trips and dinners for volunteers and interns at the center. I highly recommend coming to the West Bank to experience the warmth, hospitality, and sense of community of the Palestinian people, as well as Khitem’s delicious home-cooking. Iktir zekki!

Furthermore, living with the other male volunteers in the Sheikh Abed residence was one of the highlights of my trip. Not only did I become close with all of the other international volunteers, I was also able to develop long-lasting relationships with Sheikh, his children, and the rest of the Hijazi family. Sheikh is an incredibly warm-hearted, caring, and funny man who really loves hosting internationals, sharing his experiences, and planning various events for the volunteers. From family BBQs to nights playing football in Dura, Sheikh and his family took me in as one of their own and truly made my experience in Palestine memorable.

Lastly, I want to add a note about safety and security in Palestine. When I first decided to volunteer and intern in the West Bank, many of my friends, family, and acquaintances raised concerns about my personal safety—believing that I had signed-up to enter a war zone. These concerns were largely based in misinformation, preconceived notions, and ignorance about the region and conflict, perpetuated by sensationalist, fear-based Western media outlets. In reality, the two months I spent living and volunteering in the West Bank were incredibly safe and could not have been further from their expectations. On a daily basis, I was welcomed with open arms by Palestinians eager to share more about their history, culture, and experiences—Palestinians hoping to both alter the narrative told by foreigners and influence international perceptions of Palestine and its people. While I entered Palestine with an open mind, the hospitality and kindness that I experienced on behalf of the Palestinian people exceeded that of all the other countries I have had the privilege of traveling through. My experience volunteering and interning in the West Bank was remarkably positive and reaffirmed my belief that people are people and we are all far more similar than we are different. I urge you to turn off your television sets and come to Palestine to form your own opinions. You will be all the better for it!