Signs along the road remind drivers and hikers not to drop fruits or vegetables on the ground as they make their way through the Negev desert. It’s a small request for people to help preserve the unique nature of the desert ecosystem by not introducing invasive species to the area.
When you arrive at Timna Valley National Park, located a half hour north of Eilat and facing the nearby mountains of Jordan, you see the preservation of the desert on a much larger scale.
The park was established 30 years ago as a joint project of Jewish National Fund and the Chudnow family, which hails from Mequon, along with Keren Kayemet LeIsrael and the Eilot Regional Council.
On March 20, members of the Chudnow family visited the park to dedicate the new Chudnow Family Visitor Center, located just inside the park’s entrance. The new center provides tourists and history buffs with interactive overviews and explanations of the historic copper mines scattered throughout the park. The center will also serve as an event hall for special occasions.
The Chudnow family’s involvement with Timna began in the early 1980s, when Avrum Chudnow supported the idea of building a man-made lake in the Timna desert valley — a project many had dubbed “impossible.” Three decades later, not only is there a lake, but there’s also a restaurant and a gift shop sitting along the lake’s shore. Over the last 30 years, hiking trails, exhibits and activities have also been developed throughout the 15,000-acre park. Seven pedal boats were also part of the weekend’s Chudnow dedication and will be a regular recreational attraction at the lake.
Avrum “Abe” Chudnow’s mission was to preserve, and at the same time, create something that would be enjoyed for generations to come. At the dedication, Abe’s son David recalled that his father visited Timna park in 1984 for the groundbreaking of the lake construction. “My father was a true visionary leader whose passion was to inspire, educate and preserve Israel’s heritage.” Chudnow, of Los Angeles, also noted that his father “had a very clear understanding that this part of the country was in serious need of an economic boost, and that this was a huge way to help the region.”
Timna Valley is home to copper mines that are thousands of years old as well as towering, unusual rock formations. The contrasts in the area are remarkable, with small patches of flowers blooming in the colored sands of the sprawling desert. In terms of exploring the site’s history, research continues to take place in Timna. Ancient textiles dating back 3,000 years were recently uncovered at the park by archaeologists from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Antiquities Authority. Experts have been able to recreate ancient copper smelting production and mines that mark the presence of prior civilizations that used the area for its natural resources. Stone carved portraits are constantly being discovered in the park.
David Chudnow remarked that his father “felt that Timna was the biggest accomplishment of his life,” but David and other family members have been essential to carrying on the family’s legacy and commitment to the park since Abe’s passing in 2005.
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