Program Reviews

If you have fears or worries or concerns; trust me, I know, that was me. But my positive experience with the center began before I arrived- the staff at the center were always responsive and understanding of the questions I had via WhatsApp and it was reassuring to go over everything with them before I even arrived. Their flexibility and willingness to accommodate was a sign of things to come and a reoccurring theme of my experience in Hebron.

With regards to the center itself and your daily routine, its always fun. There is something new to do everyday and if something strikes your fancy, those at the center are always willing to try and fit it in. The Arabic lessons themselves were great, and again, always flexible. You know how you learn and should have input in your own teaching, and the Arabic teachers are here are always responsive to that. Want to focus on grammar? No problem. Maybe you're more interested in particular vocab? No stress. I even got sick at one point and we moved my lessons around.

If you're interested in visiting Palestine and the center, do it. You won't regret it.

I’ve had an absolutely incredible time at the Excellence Centre in Europe! Throughout my time in Halle, I’ve had so many incredible opportunities and such a huge variety of invaluable experiences. After initially enjoying the sociability of the shared accommodation, I have more recently had the opportunity to stay with a wonderful host family for my final two weeks, through which I think my spoken German has improved considerably! Combining German lessons with teaching English has also been incredibly rewarding, while also leaving me with lots of free time to explore, both locally and further afield (the public transport is excellent!!!). Weekend trips to Berlin and Dresden were particular highlights, and with Leipzig just a 20 minute train journey away, I’ve had lots of opportunities to explore the region’s various Christmas markets and football stadia! As a keen musician, it was also amazing to spend long enough here to persuade the organist of the Marktkirche (Market church) to entrust me with the key to Handel’s original organ- not a bad place to do some practice! Overall, I’ve had an absolutely fantastic time and am so grateful to Rafat, Muaz, Dusan, Enrico and everyone at the Excellence Centre for their warm welcome and incredible generosity, not to mention fantastic food both every morning at breakfast and in the evenings when we all gather to say goodbye to departing volunteers!

My experience has been absolutely amazing. I didn’t just learn a lot about Germany, but also about the experiences of refugees here, which gave me such an important perspective. Big thanks to Muaz—he’s an awesome teacher and mentor, and he really helped me improve my German.

Life in Halle was great. There’s so much to do, and the schedule gives you plenty of time to enjoy it all. Weekends are free, and I highly recommend traveling whenever you can—it’s encouraged and totally worth it!

One of the best parts was meeting so many new people and making great friends along the way. It’s such a unique experience to connect and bond with people from all over the world, and those relationships make the whole experience even more special.

The accommodation was comfortable overall, though it could be a bit better when it comes to space. That said, it was still a nice place to live.

Teaching English was a bit tricky at first since there wasn’t much guidance on how to go about it. It took me a little time to find my rhythm, but once I did, it became a really rewarding part of the experience.

All in all, this was an incredible journey, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to grow, learn, and connect with amazing people.

My experience has been absolutely amazing. I didn’t just learn a lot about Germany, but also about the experiences of refugees here, which gave me such an important perspective. Big thanks to Muaz—he’s an awesome teacher and mentor, and he really helped me improve my German.

Life in Halle was great. There’s so much to do, and the schedule gives you plenty of time to enjoy it all. Weekends are free, and I highly recommend traveling whenever you can—it’s encouraged and totally worth it!

One of the best parts was meeting so many new people and making great friends along the way. It’s such a unique experience to connect and bond with people from all over the world, and those relationships make the whole experience even more special.

The accommodation was comfortable overall, though it could be a bit better when it comes to space. That said, it was still a nice place to live.

Teaching English was a bit tricky at first since there wasn’t much guidance on how to go about it. It took me a little time to find my rhythm, but once I did, it became a really rewarding part of the experience.

All in all, this was an incredible journey, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to grow, learn, and connect with amazing people.

My name is Allie Kay, I am from the United States and I chose to come to the Excellence Center for a month to engage in their journalism program and Arabic classes. I had a wonderful time at the center and learned a lot! Osama took me and other volunteers on interesting touring activities such as visiting the Ibrahimi mosque, the Hirbawi keffiyeh factory, the Hebron glass blowing factory, and showed us the market in the old city of Hebron where H1 meets H2. After a couple tries we were able to pass through the checkpoint to Shuhada street, which is an Israeli-only street in the heart of Hebron, and had a wonderful meeting with a Palestinian family living under the boot of occupation. Osama also took us a little bit outside of Hebron to visit the Al Fawwar Refugee Camp. Because I came for the journalism program, the Excellence Center introduced me to many male and female Palestinian photojournalists! I was so inspired by their work and look forward to continuing to network and foster professional connections with everyone I have met.

After a month of volunteering and studying in the West Bank, my lasting impression of the Palestinian people is that they are kind, hospitable, helpful, and courageous to continue to live and love others the way they do.

My overall experience at the Excellence Center was so wonderful that I can’t wait to come back next year! Marwa and Osama feel like my family now, and I am excited to try to come back and do some ride along work with the photojournalists I have been introduced to. Palestine was all I thought about for the year and some change before I came to volunteer, and now Palestine fills my heart as well as my mind. I highly recommend coming to the Excellence Center for anyone that is interested in getting out of their bubble on the imperial core, and experiencing firsthand the absolute kindness that embodies Palestine as a whole. I know that once I get home I will spend this next year telling everyone I can about the hospitality of Palestinians and will be gathering a group of friends to come back with me to experience the absolute magic of Palestine.

My experience at the Palestinian Excellence center has been nothing short of extraordinary. This is my first time in Palestine and I have been deeply moved by the warmth and hospitality of the people here who have made me feel like a part of their family.

The Centre offers an extensive array of opportunities catered to provide support and development to various communities living in Hebron as well as the opportunity to learn Arabic and teach English.

I had enrolled to the 6-hour Arabic Lessons and I have been absolutely blown away by the quality of the teaching. The teaching has been thoughtfully tailored, conducive to ensure I make significant progress in a short period of time. The teachers were highly skilled, patient and understanding to my needs. A special thanks to Jomana, Safa and Duha.

In addition to this, the course provided me with invaluable insights into life in Palestine allowing me to connect with locals, hear their personal stories and develop a profound appreciation for the resilience and strength of the community here.

In terms of safety, I felt incredibly secure throughout my entire stay at the Palestinian territories. At no point did i feel threatened or uneasy, on the contrary I felt warmth and peace.

Thank you so much Marwa, Osama , Khaitm for all the love, generosity and hospitality you have shown me and for all the delicious food that you had cooked for me.

I can not recommend this remarkable institution for anyone seeking enriching experiences and meaningful connections.

This experience was definitely more than I expected i.e. the hospitality from the organization and from the local community, the sites that we visited, the volunteer work in the refugee camps, the Arabic teachers and lessons, the food and drinks, the knowledge gained from the time spent here. I would highly recommend to anyone who is looking to volunteer or seeking the truth to apply to this program. In terms of safety, it is quite safe here, with regards to the community, it is very open here, everyone including kids are more than often outdoors. with regards to the Israeli soldiers, with my encounters, more than often they are respectful and simply doing their jobs to ensure safety of both the Israeli's, Palestinians and Foreigners.

I have really enjoyed my time here at The Excellence Centre. Every single person has made my stay here a unique and beautiful experience. From the patience and encouragement of my Arabic teacher Duha to all of the friendly, hardworking students. From the insights of Palestinian life in Hebron led by Osama's cultural tours to Marwa's homecooked food and having breakfast with Khitem.

I was here with another volunteer and we stayed in our own apartment. We were the only 2 volunteers here as due to the ongoing Israeli violence, flights have been cancelled and getting here can be a bit tricky. I ended up flying to Amman then crossing the border via King Hussein Bridge, catching a bus to Jericho and then a shared taxi to Hebron. Even though it was a longer journey, everyone was friendly and helpful along the way and I got so many "Welcomes" it actually made my day!

I chose The Excellence Centre as it had the most comprehensive and varied volunteer programmes and after messaging Rafat, we arranged a time to have a telephone conversation, and he answered all the questions I had and I felt reassured that I had made the right decision.

It's important to come here without European or Western expectations of structure as things can change last minute or can move at a different pace. You will learn each day what you will be doing as opposed to a set continuous plan. Going to Ibrahim Mosque can be challenging as you have to go through 3 checkpoints and the mood of the Israeli guards can change in a moment. It can be an uncomfortable, tormenting experience which lasts moments for me but is an everyday lived experience for Palestinians.

Regardless of the challenges, this was such a rewarding and rich experience that for sure I will be coming again.

I had a fantastic time volunteering to learn German and teach English at the Excellence Centre in Europe (Halle, Germany).

Each weekday started with a delicious communal breakfast prepared by our hosts, creating the perfect setting to connect with fellow volunteers and staff. The breakfast was followed by a mix of teaching English, learning German, and plenty of free time to explore the charming city of Halle. The supportive community atmosphere at the Centre was balanced with a great deal of independence, allowing me to develop my own lessons and explore local culture.

German lessons with Muaz were a highlight — his engaging and clear teaching style is truly magical. On the other hand, teaching students at the centre was very rewarding. It was wonderful to build people-to-people connections and see people come out of their shells as their confidence in communicating in English increased.

The sense of camaraderie with my fellow volunteers was strong, especially during farewell meals and group outings. I also really appreciated that, as a solo female traveller, I felt not only safe but also supported and inspired by the other volunteers I stayed in the dorms with. Rafat has built something truly special here, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this program!

My name is Jessica, I'm Belgian, I have a degree in Communications and work in the field of financial inclusion.

During my three-week stay at the center, I had the chance to assist English language teacher courses for teenagers, and to conduct individual interviews with young university students.

Living in Palestine could not be done this time (it's not my first stay in Palestine) without learning the language. Saja, my teacher, has taught me so much, being both, exigent and cool at the same time. By the way, I've decided to continue my lessons online before my next stay here.

Icing on the cake was the kindness, availability and generosity of the staff, each of them ! And what can I say about the students ... endless smiles.

Living in Hebron is a bit like living in a family cocoon on a large scale! You feel surrounded and safe at all times. Being able to go out for tea in the evening without having to close the car door (something unimaginable in Europe).

My hosts, Marwa, Ossama, Myse and Karim, reminded me of what a family was like, so much so that I felt part of this beautiful family myself.

I had the opportunity to revisit Jericho and Jerusalem (great emotional moment at Al Aqsa on a Friday for Dhur ...). I also visited Ramallah and Nablus. The latter combines tradition and modernity. Mohamad went out of his way to introduce me to a historian ... even though I'd just asked him a question about the origins of the old town.

I’m grateful for everything and look forward to seeing my second home (Palestine) and Family very soon.