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 religions and other Islamic sects and denominations. This resulted in the establishment of a research institute which eventually became the University of Religions and Denominations. The institute began its activities with a group of students from Qom Seminary in a small building, with meager resources and facilities. At first, there was a special four-year academic course in three fields: Abrahamic Religions, Non- Abrahamic Religions and Islamic Sects. During their studies, the students also learned English, Sanskrit and Hebrew languages. After about ten years of hard work and endeavor, training of elite students, and meeting the legal requirements governing the universities,