Volunteer & Study Arabic In Palestine (1-13 Weeks)

I am a recent graduate from the USA (University of Wisconsin-Madison) with Palestinian heritage. I had never traveled to Palestine before, and was looking for opportunities to serve the Palestinian community and learn more about my culture and history. The Excellence Center was the perfect option for doing so. At the Excellence Center, I did the Volunteer and Study Arabic program for two weeks. I taught English lessons alongside an English instructor and engaged in cultural exchange with my students. Furthermore, I attended a cultural performance show where students performed self-created poems, songs, and plays inspired by their Palestinian experiences. It was incredible to hear them share their stories. Other opportunities offered by the Excellence Center were tours of the Old City of Hebron, Glass factory, Keffiyeh factory, hospitals, and refugee camps. I had three hours of Arabic instruction per week, and it was particularly helpful to learn the Palestinian dialect, which contained many rich words that helped me immerse myself in the community more. The staff and other volunteers were incredibly welcoming, and one of the best benefits of the program is getting to meet people from all over the world. The staff is always engaging with volunteers and available for any support. My host family was also wonderful and I learned a lot from them about the ongoing occupation and how their lives were affected. Despite having misconceptions about safety in Palestine due to Israeli threats, I felt incredibly safe. My favorite things about Hebron were the people and the food! This positive experience has encouraged me to return to the Excellence Center sometime in the future. I highly recommend this experience for those looking to learn more about the Palestinian people and culture.

I’m from Japan, currently pursuing my master's degree on Modern Arab History, and this was my second stay in Palestine but the first one in Hebron. I participated in the women’s rights volunteer programs for six weeks. I am very much satisfied with the overall experience at the center and my stay in Hebron, for the reasons most of the previous participants have already mentioned - welcoming and generous people, richness in culture and history, abundant opportunities to immerse yourself in the local culture. Despite some points that should be improved, I recommend this program especially to those who have never been to Palestine and wish to get a good grasp on the situation of Palestine.

The program consisted of 3h/w Arabic lessons, lectures on a variety of topics by the local staffs at the center/lecturers from the outside, visits to local organisations/humanitarian NGOs and UN offices/activists/artists/Palestinian villages/Palestinian residents in Israeli-controlled areas/refugee camps/settlements etc. Since there were only a few participants in the women’s rights program while I was here, I was put in the same activities as Human Rights program most of the time. Among some activities that are specifically related to women’s rights are visits to local associations such as “Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association” and “Women’s Studies Centre”, where we could ask them about the problems the local women face in detail.

Although I was expecting to have more opportunities to actually volunteer at certain places, the Human rights/Women’s rights program were designed to make participants understand the general situation of Hebron rather than to give them opportunities to actively do something. In my case, the center allowed us to hold two sessions of workshops about the women’s rights for teenage girls at the center, which was one of the memorable experiences to me. If you are looking for interactions with the locals, I would recommend English teaching programs, or to make specific requests to the center on what you want to do, as the center is really open to suggestions and try their best to meet your requests in most of the cases.

As for the Arabic classes, I was happy with all three teachers I had lessons with during the program. If I am to be honest, the level of the lessons was too easy for me as I already have B2-C1 level of MSA and dialect Arabic, but I still benefited from the lessons where I could have a deep conversation with them in Arabic for an hour straight, which was quite an intensive speaking practice.

As I wrote in the beginning, the experience at the center would be the perfect introduction to your understanding about Palestine. Even for those who are already familiar with the situation of Palestine, you could take advantage of the connections you make with locals throughout the program and visit them individually. As I don’t have difficulties in talking with locals in Arabic, I visited so many Palestinians I have met throughout the program and sometimes stayed at their places overnight, which gave me detailed understating of their culture and daily life. Especially if you have interests in specific fields, the center will introduce you to the right people. In my case, because I am studying the history of Palestine under British Mandate and interested in Palestinian embroidery, I truly benefited from some activities such as the presentation by a local history researcher, who later generously shared with me some primary sources relevant to my research, as well as the visit to a village where I became friends with a Palestinian woman who has a great collection of vintage Palestinian embroidered dresses and is a wonderful embroidery artist herself.

With regards to the host family, I was lucky enough to be placed at a wonderful family, who always invited me to join their family activities- dinner, visiting/receiving their relatives, Eid al-adha celebration, chilling at a nearby cafe, etc-. In case you are not satisfied with your host family, you can ask the center to change your host family like some of my roommates did before they came to our host family’s place.

On the safety here in Hebron, despite frequent Israeli forces’ night raids on Palestinian houses, confrontation between the locals and the Israeli soldiers, and Israeli setters’ harassment to the locals, you will have almost zero chance to be in a dangerous situation as long as you stay away from those volatile areas, and I did not face any difficulties in traveling to other cities either. You have to keep in mind that this is not the case for locals, and you would often be reminded of your privilege as a foreigner (or non-Palestinian) in the racist occupation system especially when you see the difference in the way you and locals are treated at the checkpoints, where the soldiers stop Palestinians and investigate them for ages for no reason.

About the center itself, the staff is all nice and kind people, and ready to offer you a help you need. I must say that the program was not necessarily perfect in every single aspect, such as lack of communication before the arrival (confirmation that the center received the tuition fee and the instruction on the way to get to the center, etc), relatively poor organization of the program as every activity may be subject to change at the last minute, shortage of the staffs to attend us at the visits, where sometimes I and some internationals of Arab origin had to do interpretation between locals and the other volunteers, chances of being put in an activity not relevant to your program (such as teaching English session in my case), but all the good points I mentioned above made up for most of these cons.

Brief notes on the internationals at the center: everyone is nice and friendly, and most importantly, shares the pro-Palestinian view, so I always felt comfortable to share with them whatever opinion I had on the situation here. You will meet people from diverse backgrounds in terms of ethnicity, religion, age, occupation and life experience, and this is another thing I enjoyed at the center as the only participant not from either the US or Europe at the time of my participation.

Last but not least, I would like to thank the center, which allowed me to spend the the most beautiful two months I have ever had in my life here in Hebron, the Hebron people and the internationals I have met during my stay.

My name is Dana and I’m from Chicago, IL USA. At the excellence center, I was a participant in the field study and healthcare programs. I had a pretty good experience at the center because I myself am Palestinian and I got to see and learn so much about my country. I got to see first hand what life was like in Arroob and Fawar refugee camps, I got to go on some of the human rights trips and check out a rep productive and women’s rights center, talk to Palestinian families about their experiences, attend presentations and workshops about the Palestinian reality as it relates to human rights and healthcare, strengthen my Arabic, and also teach English. I had a marvelous time with my host family who are people I now consider family.
At the center itself, the teachers are fantastic and so fun to talk to and laugh with. They are so knowledgeable about Palestine and always willing to answer any questions I had and I really appreciate that. I also made some really great friends here from all around the world! I have friends in Japan, Holland, Britain, Ireland, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Canada, Australia, and the US! It’s so cool to get to meet all these people with different experiences and ideas and have really cool conversations at the center and at coffee shops about anything and everything. In regards to safety, I generally felt very safe. There are definitely people who will stare because we are foreigners and sometimes there are small children who come up to you and want to talk to you, but they’re usually just very curious and excited.
One of my favorite memories in Palestine was when the Tawjihi results came out and for two days the whole country was celebrating with fireworks and music. I even got to attend one of the celebrations and got to see how everyone goes from house to house congratulating the students for succeeding on their exams. It was really beautiful to be a part of. The only suggestions I would make is maybe sending out a welcome packet or welcome call of some sort of everything a person should know before arriving like how to get there, the specific living arrangements, etc. Also things were a little day by day sometimes which is fine, but it’s something to keep in mind that you may not always know what you’ll be doing a few days in advance.
Overall, my experience at the excellence center was very positive! I learned so much about our family history and about what the daily experience is like with the occupation and apartheid. I can’t wait to come back to Palestine again and spend even more time here.

I have a bachelor's degree in law. At the Excellence Center, I did the volunteer program with children.

Because Arabic is my native language, I got advanced classes which were super instructive and good for me as they allowed me to improve my reading and writing skills.
The employees in the EC listen very carefully to what you want and help you to achieve it. It was very nice and easy for me to communicate with them.

In addition to the program, I had two days off each week. I could decide for myself what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go. Because other volunteers are also present, we were able to travel together in Palestine and go to other cities. During my stay I went to Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus and Jaffa.

I felt very safe during my stay here in Palestine. At no point did I get the feeling that it is unsafe here.

It's hard to choose my favorite thing about Palestine because I enjoyed everything here: the food, the people, the atmosphere. Genuinely everything. If I had to choose just one thing it would be the people. The People are hospitable, nice, sweet and super helpful. The country is beautiful and the people who live here are even more beautiful.

The EC was a good place for me to learn more about Palestine, the situation, the people, and everything around it. Thanks to the EC, I've been given the opportunity to do thi

My name is Saranne, I’m a primary school teacher from Ireland. I’ve always had an interest in Palestine and the issues the Palestinian people face. And the excellence centre seemed like the perfect place to get an insight into every day life for the people living in Hebron. This is why I chose to participate in the women’s rights program. I got the opportunity to visit many female activists within the community who are defending the human rights of Palestinians against the occupation and met different groups who promote women’s voices within the Palestinian community. The knowledge I gained from my visits to community groups was invaluable. I also participated in Arabic classes and really enjoyed being immersed in the language and culture by my wonderfully patient teacher Anais. Shukran kteer! I stayed with a lovely host family who took great care of me and did their best to ensure I was safe and comfortable in their home. I truly felt part of the family and got to share in many happy memories with them during Eid. Overall I felt extremely safe in Hebron, the locals are friendly and Marwa and Oussama the centers coordinators were always there to help me or answer any questions I had. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone who is interested in learning more about Palestine and you will be not be disappointed with Palestinian hospitality!

My name is Nico, and I am from the U.S., where I am currently pursuing my master’s degree in
Middle Eastern Studies. Here at the Excellence Center, I was part of the Women’s Rights and
Human Rights volunteer program for two weeks, which consisted of visiting local human rights
and women’s rights organizations in order to learn about the work they were doing and the
challenges that they faced.
While I was here, I also took some Arabic lessons, which I found helpful and appropriate for my
level. I knew some Arabic before coming, so the lessons were focused on getting me to speak
more in conversation, and to fill in words and phrases specific to Palestine and Hebron that I
hadn’t learned anywhere else. In all, they were exactly what I had hoped they would be when I
signed up.
The staff, other students, and everyone involved at the Center were incredibly welcoming,
friendly, and helpful. Any time I needed help finding an ATM, an open restaurant, or how to take
a trip to a different city– I could ask others and they would happily give me the information I
needed (or point me in the direction of someone who would know). People in Hebron were also
very friendly and welcoming– every day I would be greeted by “Hi! Welcome to Hebron!” as I
walked past people. I felt very safe in Palestine, as people may have been surprised by the
presence of a tourist, but often went out of their way to see if I needed help or advice. I never
felt unwelcome or uncomfortable in Palestine or in Hebron.
With the center, I visited areas around Hebron and took a bus trip with many other students and
teachers to Mar Saba Monastery near Bethlehem, one of the oldest still active churches in
existence, to the village of Bitar, where we sat in the natural park and visited the roman bath and
pool, and to the wall within the city of Bethlehem. By myself, I visited the Old City of Jerusalem,
Ramallah, and Bethlehem, where I saw the Church of the Nativity and many other historical
sites.
People in Palestine and at the center were incredibly welcoming and helpful. One of my favorite
stories was when I took a taxi to Bethlehem and the driver asked me if I liked arabic coffee. I

told him yes, not thinking much of it, but the next thing I knew we were pulled over on the side of
the road and he was buying me a cup of coffee and water. Like this experience, people here go
out of their way to help and to welcome you, and every day was a wonderful new experience
that I would suggest to others to take!

Although, I could stay only for a week, I’ve learned some useful phrases, learned more about the culture.
Everyone was very kind and helpful and welcomed friendly. Whenever I had a question, I always could find someone who could help me out, answer for my questions.
Before my arrival to Hebron, I’ve spent one day in Jerusalem and I have attended to a trip to Bethlehem with the center.
Many times, I walked home alone during the night. Even though I wasn’t familiar to the city, I felt safer than in the city I live. Besides, anytime I got lost I always found someone who could help me out or drop me.
I can’t emphasize one specific part, because I have enjoyed my entire staying. However, I gained a lot of experience about the happenings in Palestine.
If someone wants to learn about Palestine, I would recommend the program for the first place.

My name is Shelley and I am a university student in the United States. During my stay in Palestine I was a part of the Healthcare and Medicine program at the Excellence Center. As a part of this program I met with many people who worked in the healthcare field in Palestine: I met with nurses, doctors, nutritionists, educators, and students of medicine. I also was able to tour a hospital and a women’s health clinic, as well as the medical school in Hebron. While learning more about the healthcare system in Hebron, I also was educated more on the political and cultural aspects of the city, and the history of Palestine. I was able to tour many parts of Palestine during my stay and meet with many people who worked and lived here in Palestine. Hearing their stories was very eye-opening. Arabic lessons were also provided, despite not being in an Arabic focused program. The Arabic lessons were very fun and useful, as they were taught in the local dialect. The instructors were very kind and energetic and made me feel very at home. All of the staff and volunteers at the center were very kind and I easily made friends and family while in Palestine.

While in Palestine I had plenty of time to explore different areas both on my own and with the center. I easily travelled to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, and small villages on the outskirts of major cities.

While in Palestine I stayed with a host family, and they really welcomed me into their home as if I was one of their own. My host family in particular were some of the nicest people I’ve met, and I learned a great deal from them. Living with a host family allows you to really be immersed in the culture within Hebron by being able to regularly speak with people, meet their families, hear their stories, and share their meals. The host family also makes you feel like you have a safe place to return to after a long day. Hebron itself is a pretty safe place. I will say that taxi-drivers will give you a hard time, and it is definitely a bit harder to navigate if you are a woman. That being said, it isn’t enough to consider not coming to Hebron. There are so many people who look out for you to ensure your safety and experiences in Hebron.

For me the best part about my stay in Palestine was the people that I met and the hospitality they provided. I have made so many friends here and met so many wonderful people who have shown exceptional kindness. The food is also very good, especially if you are able to try a home-cooked meal. Palestine is also a very beautiful country and the sunsets are some of the nicest I’ve ever seen.

Leaving the Excellence Center and leaving Palestine, I know that I will come back. I have truly met some wonderful people and thoroughly enjoyed my time here. I have made friends for a lifetime in just one month, and felt very welcomed. My lasting impression is that despite living under occupation and enduring many hardships, Palestinian people are filled with generosity and a fierce human spirit. I have learned so much about core life values and what really matters in life. I would absolutely recommend traveling to Palestine to anyone interested.