| Regulations for the Israelitische Talmud Tora Armenschule in Hamburg (Israelite Talmud Torah Charity School). The desire for a school for children of the poor was so far advanced among leading men of the Gemeinde Altona in Hamburg (Altona Jewish Community in Hamburg) by the beginning of the 19th century that in 1805 an Israelitische Armenschule der Talmud Tora was opened. The building was donated by the wealthy community members M. Lemann and I.M. Ruben. The Altona Community made a contribution and initially covered deficits in the school's budget. Schooling was free except for sons of wealthy parents and for sons of parents who were non-members of the Altona Community.
The school was administered by the 18 man community board. In the early years the school emphasized religious subjects. The 60 pupils admitted in 1805 were taught by 4 teachers of religion, and a teacher for reading, writing and arithmetic. During the seige of Hamburg by the French the Talmud Torah schools of Hamburg (in a courtyard in Neuer Steinweg), and of Wandsbek ceased to exist. The Israelitische Armenschule der Talmud Tora (Israelite Talmud Torah Charity School) in Altona continued in existence and received children from all three Jewish communities.
In 1821 Isaac Bernays (1792-1849) was elected chief rabbi of the Deutsche- Israelitischen Gemeinde in Hamburg (German-Israelite Community in Hamburg) and simultaneously Ephorus of the Israelitische Armenschule der Talmud Tora (Israelite Talmud Torah Charity School). He devoted himself to the school. He entered office at the beginning of a new era of traditional orthodox Judaism. He made this evident by using the sephardi title chacham instead of rabbi.
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