Prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem

Mystical trends in Judaism of earlier periods continued in the eighteenth century. Rabbis such as the Baal Shem Tov formed circles of followers who sought ecstatic experience and special insights into divine life. These groups, known as "Hasidim," adopted distinctive dress such as black coats, fur or felt hats, and long strands of hair along their ears.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries some European countries sought to strengthen their national identities and engaged in violence against the Jewish minorities. Severe persecutions occurred in Russia and later under Nazi rule in Germany, when six million European Jews were killed between 1933 and 1945. Many Jews emigrated to the U.S. and other countries, but some Jewish leaders encouraged settlement in Palestine, where the modern state of Israel was formed in 1948. Persistent conflicts emerged between Israel's Jewish population and the Palestinian Arabs--both Christians and Muslims--who lost lands and rights.

Today, Orthodox Jews retain the most visibly distinctive modes of dress and traditional modes of life. Conservative Jews observe many traditional practices while showing more openness to change. Reformed Jews accept a wide variety of beliefs and practices. A significant number of Jews in Israel and elsewhere are secular, observing few traditions.