 When in 1616 Morteira escorted the body of the physician Elijah Montalto from France to Amsterdam, the Sephardic Congregation Beth Jaacob (House of Jacob) in Amsterdam elected him hakham in succession to Moses ben Aroyo.Morteira was the founder of the congregational school Keter Torah, in the highest class of which he taught Talmud and Jewish philosophy.He had also to preach three times a month, and received an annual remuneration of 600 guilders and 100 baskets of turf.