Kibbutz Ketura was founded in 1973 in the Arava Desert, on the Jordanian border about 50 km north of Eilat. The kibbutz was founded by a seed group from the American Zionist youth group Young Judaea, and over half of the current members are immigrants from English-speaking countries.

Businesses include desert agriculture, educational tourism, technical writing, Web publishing, an agricultural research station, a graduate-level ecological studies program, and a variety of individual entrepreneurial projects.

Ketura is the only kibbutz in Israel which has a kosher dining hall, and public observance of the Shabbat and holidays, without being formally affiliated with any religious movement. As a result, it has attracted members with a wide variety of religious backgrounds, and garinim from the Israeli Scouts, which has a similarly pluralistic policy. It also hosts groups from Noam, the Masorti (Conservative) youth group.

Kibbutz Lavi, a member of Hakibbutz Hadati (the religious kibbutz movement), was founded in 1949 in the Lower Galilee. Its enterprises include a hotel, an interfaith educational center, a cardiology center, a law practice, a furniture factory, a computer company, and a Reiki healing center.

Kibbutz Lotan was founded in 1983 in the Arava Desert, about 55 km north of Eilat, by graduates of the Reform Jewish Youth movements of America and Israel. It is affiliated with the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, the Collective Stream of the Kibbutz movement, and the Green Kibbutz Group. It is located on the Arava Road between Kibbutz Yahel and Kibbutz Ketura.

The community has a strong ecological focus.