Takkanot (Regulations)

No householder or unmarried man above the age of thirteen may wear a colored hat in the synagogue on Shabbat or Yom Tov, only a black hat. Likewise, a householder may not come to the synagogue wearing a neck scarf on Shabbat or Yom Tov, but leaders of the community, even those responsible for collecting charitable donations, will not wear a neck scarf even on weekdays. However, an unmarried man may wear a neck scarf, even on Shabbat and Yom Tov.

No man or woman, youth or unmarried maiden, may visit the homes of gentiles to drink on Shabbat and Yom Tov. It is also forbidden to attend peepshows or comedies, and fencing schools on Shabbat; the fine for so doing is four and a half reichsthalers. Women and maidens are forbidden to attend the opera even on weekdays; the punishment for so doing is the same fine.

Young men and maidens may not learn to dance with a dancing master, and even more so serving men or maids; the fine for this is thirty reichsthalers and forced excommunication.

Every householder has the right to lodge a complaint and request judgment in the synagogue, but as soon as the parnas [community leader] promises him that the judgment will be given within three days, the householder must return to his seat. And if the parnas delays giving the judgment more than three days, then the parnas must pay a fine of ten reichsthalers, half of this for his Royal Highness the King and half to be given charity. If the parnas will prove before the community and the head of the rabbinic court that the householder made an unlawful complaint, the householder will pay a fine of ten reichsthalers as above.

On the Shabbat before the leaders of the community are to be appointed, the beadle will make an announcement as follows: All our householders living in Hamburg and Altona, no man may leave his house, for when the beadles come to call each householder and do not find him straight away, they are required by oath not to search for him. And they will not wait and tarry for him, but will go at once to the community council and choose someone else instead of him. And that same householder who did not come straight away with the beadle will pay a fine of ten reichsthalers, half of this for his Royal Highness the King and half to be given charity; no excuse whatsoever is acceptable.

And on the day on which officials of the community are appointed, no man, not even a non-Jew, may enter the community council building. If a man enters by force or with violence he will pay a fine of eight reichsthalers, half of this for his Royal Highness the King and half to be given charity.

The community council and the officials will on that day have at their disposal eight reichsthalers for food and beverages.

Card games and all kinds of games, even ball games, are completely forbidden. However, on Hanukkah and Purim it is permitted to play them for one week. And a woman or unmarried maiden may not play with a householder or an unmarried man and even more so with a non-Jew. Also, she may not play outside her home after the time of the afternoon prayer; whoever disobeys this rule will be punished with a fine of four reichsthalers and whoever plays will be considered as one who transgresses a ban and will not be allowed to perform any holy rituals for three years.