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

My name is Dylan, and I am from the United States. I graduated the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelors in Middle Eastern studies, and a minor in Political Science. I participated in the volunteer sports, and teaching English program at the Excellence Center. At the Excellence Center I participated in a wide array of activities including: Arabic classes, field trips, and English instruction for local youth.
The Arabic classes I participated in were colloquial Levantine Arabic. My teacher, Doha, was very informative, and she moved the class at a good pace. This allowed us to make the most out of each session. All the teachers & staff at the center are incredibly welcoming and ensure you're comfortable. In addition, fellow participants are like minded and friendly, which creates a great environment to be apart of.
As for field trips, the first one I went on was a walking town of Old Hebronted by Osama. This was a great way to learn the history of the city, and to get in touch with my surroundings. The second trip, we took a shuttle to two different Bedouin Villages to say it was eye opening is an understatement. The power of hearing the people first-hand is an unforgettable experience. My third trip was through the H2 side of Hebron where we met with a local woman who has suffered tragically from the occupation, and later in the day we spoke with a humanitarian organization to hear what actions they are taking to help the people of Hebron.
Living in Hebron has been a wonderful experience. Out of everywhere I have traveled the people here are by far the most welcoming. They will ask you in for tea or coffee after only speaking with you for five minutes on the street. Safety has never been a concern here. All the people of Hebron do their best to assist you if you're looking lost, and I have never been taken advantage of. My most memorable experience while living in Hebron was walking down in Old Hebron with a soccer ball and playing with all the kids as I made my way down the street. We may not have been able to conversate past simple greetings, but the enjoyment we shared through the sport was heart-warming.
I’ve certainly enjoyed my time here at the Excellence Center. The amount I’ve learned not only in Arabic, but about life in Palestine is vast in the short two weeks I’ve been here. I hope more people can experience life in Hebron, and hear the Palestinian’s people’s stories.

I came with my brother to practise Arabic and see more of Hebron and the reality in Palestine. We had a very eye-opening week-long stay and we will certainly be returning to Palestine! My brother stayed in the centre apartment and I stayed with a wonderful host family that really made us feel welcome and included us in all of the family activities. The other volunteers have all been wonderful to work with and extremely friendly. We would reccomend this to absolutely everyone looking for an insightful and knowledge-filled expereince in West Bank.

I visited Hebron with my family. We stayed for 12 days one of these weeks was with the excellence centre. We participated in voluntary work with refugees and medical professionals. We feel it was an eye opening and informative experience. We were able to gain a lot of knowledge and insight into the lives of those living in Hebron. Throughout the experience, we all felt safe, supported and welcomed. I would recommend this program to others and I think the programe it excellent in allowing younger students to engage in learning English, which was taught very well.

I spent a week in Hebron and undertook several activities with the team in the Excellence Center. It was an amazing experience in which I taught English to children between the ages of 8-15. I was also able to immerse myself in the culture and met a lot of locals who were so welcoming. We were also able to see a lot of historical sites such as Al-Ibrahimi mosque and the old town. The team were always on hand to ensure we were comfortable and on our days off we visited Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

Our highlight of the trip was undoubtably staying with our host family who always cooked us Palestinian food such as Makluba and were so lovely to us. Palestine always felt very safe, there were always people around to ensure we were comfortable. After spending time here, we would definitely want to return due to the warm nature of the people and the beauty of this country. I would urge anyone who is considering to come to the Center to come as you will not regret it.

My name is Veronica. I am from America and I did the Teaching English and Studying Arabic program at the Excellence Centre for three months. On top of teaching, I cooked in the Center’s kitchen, led an English Club, participated in a few excursions, and made so many friends.

The staff at the center are friendly and hospitable, and I immediately felt like I was part of the family. I started teaching on my first day, helping another volunteer with an intermediate English class which I ended up taking over for the remainder of its run time. I quickly got to enjoy speaking with my students and learning more about their lives.

The daily breakfasts and group activities make it really easy to get to know the other volunteers well, and people plan excursions to explore Palestine outside Al Khalil almost every weekend. My first week I joined a group going on a day trip to the Dead Sea, and in the last three months I was able to see Jerusalem, Nablus, Ramallah, Tel Aviv, and Eilat too. On top of weekend trips I got to experience multiple excursions through the center such as teaching kids in Arroub refugee camp and speaking with Human Rights Defenders in the old city. One day we went on a very memorable day trip to Mar Saba Yatta; another we had a barbecue in beautiful Loza with some of the Arabic teachers on our day off. During Ramadan we had Iftar at the center at least once a week.

I learned Arabic with my amazing teacher Maryam, who I am really going to miss. The other Arabic teachers are lovely too and would always answer questions or help me if I needed, especially Ma’mon who let me join in a few of his lessons too. I am very happy with the amount of Arabic I was able to learn while I was here and got plenty of practice every day.

I lived with a host family near the Old City who were so kind and friendly. I had my own room and felt very comfortable and like I was part of the family too—I was able to get more Arabic practice and chat with my host sisters who speak English too. I felt very safe and happy here, even walking in the old city. Honestly, my favorite thing about my experience here has been the people. Hospitable does not even cover it; they are so welcoming and kind. Everywhere I went everyone was so kind and offered me food or help with anything I needed.

One day, I was walking while on a break from the center and stumbled upon a lovely garden, where a woman was sitting. She waved me over, and even though I hadn’t learned much Arabic yet, she sat me down and proceeded to feed me lunch complete with fruit grown in the garden and coffee afterwards. Two hours later, after showing me her daughter’s wedding photos, giving me her grandchild to hold, and giving me a tour of her garden, I had to go back to teach a class. We managed to communicate through the immense generosity that I have found in countless families here in Al Khalil. This is the number one thing I will remember about my time here.

I cannot recommend coming to Al Khalil enough. The Excellence Center provides invaluable help in getting here, connecting foreigners to the local community, and providing an environment where you can meet many many new people. It is a truly unique experience. The overall feeling here is of family, for better or worse, complete with some of the chaos that comes with it.

The hospitality I received from the Center and also all the people I have interacted with in Palestine has been so amazing. The warmth that I have received from Palestinians is something I know I will never get anywhere else and I am so grateful for the opportunity that the Center have given me. The teachers here are very willing and helpful, which makes learning here very comfortable.

The safety of the people here in Hebron is nothing like shown in the media. Walking in the streets here are really safe and there wasn't a time it feels risky or dangerous. More likely due to the respect of the people and the warmth from the people everywhere.

I have loved my time at the Excellence Center and would definitely recommend this experience to anybody wanting to visit, embrace, celebrate and understand Palestine on a deeper level. You have the opportunity to build so many relationships – with the teenagers at the center you work with during workshops or classes (depending on your programme), the other volunteers at the Center, the lovely staff here, and then the many people you meet during trips throughout your days when not working. You get to meet Palestinians living at the nearby Al Fawwar Refugee Camp nearby, near the surrounding settlements, in Hebron's Old City itself – and giving them all a chance to tell their story and their reality is so important to understand as a whole the situation here in Hebron and more widely – so we can understand what we are best placed to do to help moving forward. It is also easy to visit parts of Palestine further away such as Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jerusalem – which we took advantage of. The center helps direct you and guide you for such trips.
I finished a BA in English Literature and Theatre before completing a Masters in Acting at the Guildford School of Acting. Due to my background, when I volunteered at the Center it was part of the arts programme here. Over 2 weeks a friend and I led theatre workshops with students aged 15-18. Over the sessions the girls developed songs, dances, images they created with their bodies, and their own speeches, using their own words. We created a safe space where they were able to express themselves creatively, with and without words, and over time build confidence in their own forms of communication. In the last session they performed the work we had created together and everyone as moved by the precision of their performance and the articulation of their own voices – so beautiful, eloquent and honest. Over the sessions they understood the importance of "play" in their lives, and of art. They also began to see the importance of relaxation in the body and working on breath to calm oneself – as many of the girls carried tension in their shoulders from the strains of everyday life. The first session proved difficult as theatre was such a new world for the girls – but by the end those who continued with us said they will try to continue this work in their futures, they loved the classes, and they now understand the importance of what we did as a group here. It was a moving, rewarding and empowering experience and I would certainly encourage anyone to volunteer here, for a sustained period of time, with the students so you can build strong bonds. Maria and I certainly intend to stay in touch with our students and hope we can return again.
Between our classes and many interesting trips we had the chance to learn Arabic at the center. I came with the most basic phrases and no knowledge of the alphabet at all. No matter what your level – you are taught how to introduce yourself, answer basic questions, learn the first few numbers – and build from there. The center supports the level you are at and you learn accordingly. It was a brilliant experience to have the chance to start learning Arabic and I intend to continue lessons when back in London where I am based currently.
I think it's important to say that you feel very safe in Hebron. The center and volunteers are warm and accommodating at all times – you are supported. Some of what you see is heartbreaking, and the first time you are faced with Israeli soldiers holding large guns is jarring – but it is so important to see this reality in my opinion, to witness with your own eyes the situation here.
We stayed with a host family – the Murad family. They live about a 20 minute walk from the Center. They are a warm, sweet family who welcomed us with open arms. Maria and I had two single beds in our own room, and shared a bathroom, kitchen and living room with one other volunteer. A few evenings we spent time with our host parents and their children – drinking the classic Palestinian nana tea, or eating delicious grilled food together as a large group. We were so glad we chose to do this rather than staying at an Airbnb or hotel – it was an authentic, personal, Palestinian experience with warm-hearted locals who have welcomed us back.
There were so many things we loved about our trip and it was a whirlwind of sights, experiences, food, music, culture – and so many lovely people. Overall we loved our time at the Center, we intend to come back, and we were so glad to have seen Palestine with our own eyes – through the words of locals here. The situation is heartbreaking but it's so important for people to visit, to listen, to help, and to witness what is going on. There's also many happy moments, things to celebrate, embrace and enjoy – the beauty of Palestine and its people. It has been a humbling, empowering, thought-provoking and life-enriching experience.

My experience at the Excellence Center has been amazing. The people at the center are patient and very accommodating to the things you are trying to accomplish. It is also a good way to immerse yourself in Palestinian culture and understand the occupation as well. Being able to have conversations about standing for justice with other like minded people is very encouraging. That is also another way in which this experience was very helpful.

Each day I’d walk to the center and it was a good way to connect with people around the community and practice the Arabic I was learning. It also helped me to understand where these people are coming from and the daily struggles they have as a result of the occupation and the effects it has in their lives. There were a couple boys I’d greet each morning on my way to the center, and by the time I’d leave the center in the mid afternoon, they were just finishing up their work. These are children and should have more educational opportunities but as a result of the regulated life here in Palestine, these opportunities can be hard to find.

In little moments such as my walk to the center, or as big moments as meeting lawyers and going to refugee camps, the center provided tangible ways to understand what life is like here. This is exactly what I was hoping to get out of the trip, as I know it will help better inform me for my future efforts in my career. It is so important as a future career woman to make these connections, so I can be the best I can be for the people I will encounter at work. I have learned to be a better advocate and speak for what is right.