Timna Valley’s center a Negev enhancement

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 in southern Israel, 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. 

Timna Park was established 30 years ago as a joint project of Jewish National Fund (JNF) and the Chudnow family of Milwaukee, Wis., as well as Keren Kayemet LeIsrael (KKL-JNF) and the Eilot Regional Council. 

Members of the Chudnow family recently visited the park to take part in a dedication of the Chudnow Family Visitor Center. The new facility provides tourists and history buffs with interactive overviews and explanations of the historic copper mines scattered throughout the park, and 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. A flotilla of seven peddle boats were also part of the recent Chudnow dedication and will be a regular recreational attraction at the lake.