Sephardic law and customs Spain or Portugal (as well as one Romaniot and one Ashkenazi synagogue). In a process lasting from the 16th through the 19th century, the native Jewish communities of most Arab and Ottoman countries adapted their pre-existing liturgies, many of which already had a family resemblance with the Sephardic, to follow the Spanish rite in as many respects as possible. Some reasons for this are: The most important theological, as opposed to practical, motive for harmonization was the Kabbalistic teachings of Isaac Luria and Ḥayim Vital. Luria himself always maintained that it was the duty of every Jew to abide by
University of Religions and Denominations University of Religions and Denominations The University of Religions and Denominations () is a teaching and research center focusing on the study of religions and Islamic sects. The president of the university is Sayyid Abulhasan Navab, one of its founding members. The university has four vice presidents: Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Research, Vice President for Cultural & Student Affairs and Vice President for Administrative & Financial Affairs. In 1995 a group of scholars from Hawza of Qom interested in and concerned with religious and cultural matters, decided to pioneer a movement towards the study of various