Arabic Study Abroad - Intensive 3 weeks

I wanted to take a moment and thank you and the Excellence Center for a wonderful
experience here in Hebron. 11 months ago, my friend and I decided to take Arabic together at our local community college. We enjoyed it so much we decided to look for a study abroad program. After looking at a few programs recommended by the college, my friend found your program and I’m glad he did.

We compared it to the others that were available and reached out to get more information. Wewere kindly greeted; all our questions were answered, and we decided the Excellence Center was where we wanted to do our study abroad.

When many people found out I was coming for a study abroad program in Palestine, they
expressed concern and warned me about how they thought things were here in Palestine, but I quickly told them I would be fine and not to worry about me. After arriving here, I found I was completely right! The Palestinian people are some of the most friendly people I have ever met.Total strangers will see you looking for something and they will stop and ask you if you need help; everyone you talk to is your friend. I have never felt worried for my safety in Palestine.

My first day I took an assessment of my language skills and was placed in a class with a
wonderful teacher. She really helped me increase my reading, writing, and speaking skills. Other teachers were really friendly as well and were always willing to help students learn, and answer any questions we had. Not only was the language training excellent, but the cultural visits organized by the center were great as well.

My first visit was meeting with an Israeli ex-soldier from an organization called Breaking the Silence. The organization is mainly comprised of former soldiers who saw the mistreatment of the Palestinian people and are educating others on what is really going on. He took us to the Israeli side of Hebron near the Ibrahimi Mosque. He explained about the Israeli settlements and how they are slowly encroaching on Palestinian lands, forcing the people out of their homes and businesses.

My second trip was to a Palestinian refugee camp where we met with some of the refugees and they told us their stories of being forced off their land and about the restrictions put in place on them. We were given a tour of the camp, and it was sad to see the conditions there. It really opened my eyes to things I did not know were occurring.

My third trip was a beautiful hike through a small valley just north of the city. We saw historical sites there and enjoyed the scenery. We even went in a cave! Afterwards we drove up a mountain and had dinner overlooking the beautiful city of Bayt Ula. It was a very nice experience.

I do not regret doing my study abroad here and have grown to love the city and the people. My one regret is that I was unable to stay longer. It saddens me that it is time to return home already.