American students from Texas visiting Acco as part of JAFI's Birthright Project painted the external wall at the Beit Heiman Community Center in Acco.

The students met teenagers from Acco and Mate Asher who are set to travel to the U.S. to work as counselors in summer camps and to work at the youth camp in Sarwash, Hungary as part of the Partnership 2000 Western Galilee youth programs.

"This isn't my first visit to Acco, but, each time I come, I am still excited and I'm pleased that the students from Texas have created something together with the Israeli youth," says Dana Epstein of the Austin Jewish Federation.  Sixty teens and students participated, and during their visit they became acquainted with one another, they made themselves bandanas for the hot Israeli summer, they got themselves dirty with paint and mainly formed relationships with each other. 

Hila Abramov, who is leaving for the Sarvash summer camp said, "I am very excited about the trip and today I had a good opportunity to meet people from the U.S. We transformed the external wall of Beit Heiman into a cool painting."

The activity was organized by Partnership 2000 Western Galilee in cooperation with the Acco Community Center Network Youth Division. The Youth coordinator, Eliran Assraf added:  "The goal is to get Jewish young people together and to strengthen their bond with Israel as the Jewish home for Diaspora Jews, and I am pleased with the opportunity we were given to organize the activity at Beit Heiman."