 In 1828, aged 40, he became head of the Bet Yaakov rabbinical seminary.In 1837 or 1838, he became head of a religious court and then became "dayan" (jurist), "marbiš torah" (teacher of Torah), and "rav korel" (head rabbi).By 1854 or 1856, he had become "Hakham Bashi" or Chief Rabbi of Smyrna, appointed by Sultan Abdülmecid I during the Tanzimat period.