The emergence of a coherent Sephardic stream of Haredi Judaism is a relatively recent development in Jewish history. In contrast to Ashkenazic communities, most Haredi leaders in the 19th-century rejected religious modernization trends, except for a few figures. In the early 20th century, the dominant Sephardic Haredi institution was
Porat Yosef Yeshiva in Jerusalem. Porat Yosef Yeshiva quickly became a reputable Sephardic institution, educating many students and even "exporting" Rabbinic leadership to Jewish communities in the
Muslim world. Politically, it followed a position close to
Agudath Yisrael. Alongside Porat Yosef Yeshiva, there were a number of Sephardic Haredi Rabbis, not affiliated with any particular institution nor with each other, who were strongly opposed to Zionism, the State of Israel, modernity, and secularism, much like the Askhenazi
Edah HaChareidis. Their attempt to form a Sephardic counterpart to the Edah, HaEdah HaChareidit HaSpharadit, was largely unsuccessful, as it failed to attract a significant membership. Of these two groups, the dominant was undoubtedly Porat Yosef Yeshiva. The second significant stage in the development of Sephardic Haredi Judaism occurred in the first decades following the establishment of the State of Israel. During this period, there was wave of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews who were educated in
Lita'i Haredi Yeshivas, and consequently adopted the worldview and lifestyle of the Ashkenazi Haredim. Both of these stages were largely unsuccessful in reaching the broader Sephardic community. The latest, and undoubtedly the most successful and widespread, iteration of Sephardic Haredism was brought about by the advent of Shas. The most significant religious figure in this movement is Rabbi
Ovadia Yosef, himself educated in Porat Yosef Yeshiva, who sought to defend and preserve the Sephardic Halacha from Ashkenazi influence, and to restore it to what he considers its purest and most correct form. == Rabbis and key figures ==