New York City synagogue tunnel incident

Last updated

New York City synagogue tunnel incident
Entrance to 770 Synagogue.jpg
Entrance to 770 synagogue, during the closure after tunnel incident
DateJanuary 8, 2024
Location
770 Eastern Parkway
Casualties
Arrested12

On January 8, 2024, clashes broke out at the World Headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, a synagogue located at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, as construction workers, on behalf of the synagogue's leaders, attempted to fill in a tunnel that students had illegally dug beneath the building. The New York City Police Department was called to intervene and arrested twelve people.

Contents

Background

The World Headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement are located at 770 Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and is often simply referred to as 770. [1] The synagogue, located under 784 and 788 Eastern Parkway, has been subject to a dispute between the Agudas Chasidei Chabad (the umbrella organization for the worldwide Chabad-Lubavitch movement) and the Gabbaim, who are associated with Messianic Chasidim and control day-to-day operations of the main synagogue. [2] Chabad messianists, in contrast to the beliefs of members of the mainstream Chabad organization, believe that the deceased Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the Jewish Messiah and that he taught that 770 needed to be expanded. [3] [4] Though a court ruling in 2006 decided that full ownership of 770 belongs to Agudas Chasidei Chabad, ongoing legal disputes have prevented either party from altering the structure. [5]

A grassroots campaign to enlarge the synagogue, called "Expand 770", was launched in 2022. The campaign aimed to rally support for the synagogue expansion. The campaign founder stated that there is a “need and duty to expand and broaden” the synagogue due to lack of space. [6]

Tunnel construction and discovery

The New York City Fire Department reported that in mid-December they had been anonymously informed about a tunnel under the building and had responded to inspect it on December 20, but the tunnel was not detected. [7] The existence of the tunnel was first publicly reported on by local media on December 22. [8]

The tunnel was constructed by yeshiva students. The purpose of the tunnel was to begin illegally expanding 770, a process that has been delayed due to various legal disputes involving the building. [1] Two yeshiva students involved with the creation of the tunnel spoke with The Forward , claiming that they were "taking initiative on a long-deferred synagogue expansion." [3]

A New York City Department of Buildings investigation in January determined that the tunnel was "illegally excavated" and connected four neighboring buildings: 784 and 786 Eastern Parkway, 302 Kingston Avenue and the extension behind 1457 Union Street. The tunnel was approximately 60 ft (18 m) long, 8 ft (2.4 m) wide, and 5 ft (1.5 m) tall, with inadequate shoring. [9] [10] A full vacate order was issued for the abandoned men's mikvah at 302 Kingston Avenue due to foundation damage. [9] [11]

After the discovery of the tunnel, the gabbaim called in construction crews to fill the tunnel with concrete. [2]

Incident

On the afternoon of January 8, 2024, a group of yeshiva students, reported to be Chabad messianics, attempted to protect the hidden passageways after a cement truck arrived to fill the tunnel. [2] The men were seen tearing up wood paneling and throwing wooden pews while several of the men ran into the tunnel to stop it from being filled. [12] The New York City Police Department responded after reports of a “disorderly group” outside the building. [13]

Many refused to come out of the tunnel, and as a result, the New York City Police Department arrested nine people. [14] Those arrested were between the ages of 19 and 22. [7] Of those arrested, five men were later arraigned in front of a Brooklyn judge on charges including criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and obstructing governmental administration. The five men, who were described by their lawyer as being Israeli citizens studying to become rabbis, all pleaded not guilty and were released without bail until a future court date. Seven other individuals were given summonses on lesser charges. [4] In April 2024, thirteen men were arraigned on charges relating to the incident. [15]

Aftermath

Rabbi Motti Seligson, Chabad's media director, said in a statement that the incident was "deeply distressing to the Lubavitch movement, and the Jewish community worldwide." Seligson also characterized those that had created the tunnel as a "group of extremist students." [7] Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, chairman of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, released a statement thanking the NYPD and stating that the actions of the students "will be investigated, and the sanctity of the synagogue will be restored." [6] The building was temporarily closed, pending a structural safety review. [16] The tunnel was infilled with concrete on January 10. [9] [17]

Residents of Crown Heights had varying responses to the incident with some concerned about those involved disrupting the sanctity of the site and highlighting the activities on a fringe group of individuals. Others connected with the reported expansion efforts of the group stating that the site visitors had outgrown its capacity and there needed to be an expansion on the property. [18]

Footage of the January 8 incident and tunnel went viral, especially on Twitter. [19] Rolling Stone reported that the event sparked the proliferation of antisemitic social media posts with some verified accounts of far-right and QAnon figures pushing misinformation. [20] In other forums such as 4chan and QAnon Telegram pages, stills taken from videos of the synagogue's interior as well as the room leading to the tunnel, which showed a stained mattress and high chair, respectively, fueled antisemitic conspiracy theories. [21] [22] [23] The claims fueling the antisemitic conspiracy theories turned out to be false. [24] Anti-Defamation League Director Jonathan Greenblatt described the antisemitic posts as "deeply troubling." [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chabad</span> Hasidic Jewish movement

Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch, is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements. It is one of the largest Hasidic groups as well as one of the largest Jewish religious organizations in the world. Unlike most Haredi groups, which are self-segregating, Chabad mainly operates in the wider world and it caters to secularized Jews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crown Heights, Brooklyn</span> Neighborhood in New York City

Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Crown Heights is bounded by Washington Avenue to the west, Atlantic Avenue to the north, Ralph Avenue to the east, and Empire Boulevard/East New York Avenue to the south. It is about one mile (1.6 km) wide and two miles (3.2 km) long. Neighborhoods bordering Crown Heights include Prospect Heights to the west, Flatbush and Prospect Lefferts Gardens to the south, Brownsville to the east, and Bedford–Stuyvesant to the north.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">770 Eastern Parkway</span> Lubavitch World Headquarters

770 Eastern Parkway, also known as "770", is the street address of the World Headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement, located on Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. The building is the center of the Chabad-Lubavitch world movement and considered by many to be an iconic site in Judaism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomchei Tmimim</span> Chabad Lubavitch yeshiva network

Tomchei Tmimim is the central Yeshiva of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement. Founded in 1897 in the town of Lubavitch by Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, it is now an international network of institutions of advanced Torah study, the United Lubavitcher Yeshivoth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hadar Hatorah</span> Chabad school in New York City, U.S.

Hadar Hatorah is a Chabad men's yeshiva in Brooklyn, New York. It is the world's first yeshiva for baalei teshuva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oholei Torah</span> Chabad school

Oholei Torah is the common name of the Lubavitch schools Educational Institute Oholei Menachem and Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah. The main branches of the school and its administrative offices are located in Brooklyn, New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 Brooklyn Bridge shooting</span> Shooting attack on Jewish Americans

On March 1, 1994, Lebanese-born Rashid Baz shot at a van of 15 Chabad-Lubavitch Orthodox Jewish students who were traveling on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City, killing one and injuring three others. In 2005, this shooting was reclassified as a terrorist attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kfar Chabad</span> Town in central Israel

Kfar Chabad is a Chabad-Lubavitch community settlement (town) in the Central District of Israel. Between Beit Dagan and Lod, it falls under the jurisdiction of Sdot Dan Regional Council. In 2022 it had a population of 6,720.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leib Groner</span> American rabbi

Yehuda Leib "Leibel" Groner was an American Hasidic Jewish teacher, scholar, and author. He is best known for having served as the personal secretary to Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, for 40 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yoel Kahn</span> Chabad rabbi (1930–2021)

Yoel Kahan was a senior Chabad rabbi who worked for the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson.

Isaac "Jacky" Bitton is a French-American musician. Initially gaining fame as the drummer for secular rock band Les Variations, Bitton became a baal teshuva through Chabad in the late 1970s and subsequently began a career in contemporary Jewish music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shimon Lazaroff</span>

Rabbi Shimon Lazaroff is the current Texas Regional Director for Texas Friends of Chabad Lubavitch, Inc. and member of the board and executive committee of Agudas Chasidei Chabad. With the direction of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, he established Chabad Lubavitch in Texas upon his arrival with his family in 1972.

Hanoch Hecht, also known as the 6 Minute Rabbi, is the spiritual leader of the Rhinebeck Jewish in Rhinebeck, NY and director of Chabad of Dutchess County. He is the son of Shea Hecht and the grandson of the late Jacob J. Hecht.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jewish Children's Museum</span> Jewish-themed childrens museum in Brooklyn, New York City

The Jewish Children's Museum is the largest Jewish-themed children's museum in the United States. It aims for children of all faiths and backgrounds to gain a positive perspective and awareness of the Jewish heritage, fostering tolerance and understanding. The permanent collection features exhibits designed to be both educational and entertaining to children, often employing interactive multimedia. At the miniature golf course on the roof, for example, each hole represents a stage in Jewish life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chabad affiliated organizations</span> Organizations affiliated with the Chabad movement within Hasidic Judaism

Chabad affiliated organizations and institutions number in the thousands. Chabad is a Hasidic movement, a branch of Orthodox Judaism. The organizations and institutions associated with the movement provide social, educational and religious services to Jews around the globe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yisroel Jacobson</span>

Yisroel Jacobson (1895-1975) was a Chabad Hasidic rabbi and the representative of the sixth Chabad rebbe, Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, to the United States during the 1920s and 1930s. He was one of the first Lubavitcher activists to arrive in to the United States. He was born in Russia and migrated to the United States in 1925.

Yosef Yitzchak "Yossi" Jacobson, also known as YY Jacobson, is an American Chabad rabbi and speaker from Monsey, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yaacov Behrman</span> American rabbi and activist

Yaacov Behrman is an American rabbi, the Director of Operation Survival, a project of the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education (N.C.F.J.E), and a liaison for Chabad Headquarters. Behrman is also the founder of the Jewish Future Alliance, and a member of Community Board 9. In 2021, Mayor Eric Adams named Behrman to his mayoral transition team, and in 2023, to the mayor's Jewish advisory committee.

References

  1. 1 2 Shapiro, Eliza; Rosman, Katherine (January 9, 2024). "Secret Synagogue Tunnel Sets Off Altercation That Leads to 9 Arrests". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 Harpaz, Beth (January 9, 2024). "So why were those yeshiva students digging a tunnel at Chabad headquarters?". The Forward . Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  3. 1 2 Keene, Louis (January 11, 2024). "A brief history of the Messianic movement that inspired the tunnel under 770 Eastern Parkway". The Forward . Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Harpaz, Beth (January 13, 2024). "'A little naive': Details emerge about students arrested in tunnel fracas at Chabad world headquarters". The Forward . Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  5. ↑ Gillott, Hannah (January 9, 2024). "Jewish tunnels: Why are Chabad hasidim digging under New York shul?". The Jewish Chronicle . Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  6. 1 2 Tress, Luke (January 10, 2024). "The controversial tunnel at Chabad's Brooklyn headquarters, explained". Jewish Telegraphic Agency . Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "9 arrested after secret tunnel found at Chabad headquarters in Brooklyn". WABC-TV . January 9, 2024. Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  8. ↑ "BREAKING: Tunnel Found Burrowed Under Women's Section of 770, Possibly Destabilizing The Building". CrownHeights.info. December 22, 2023. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 Deliso, Meredith; Katersky, Aaron (January 11, 2024). "DOB issues vacate orders over 'underground tunnel' after chaos erupts at NYC synagogue". ABC News . Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  10. ↑ Offenhartz, Jake (January 11, 2024). "NYC issues vacate orders to stabilize historic Jewish sites following discovery of 60-foot tunnel". AP News . Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  11. ↑ Keene, Louis (January 9, 2024). "Arrests at Chabad's iconic headquarters after students thwart attempt to fill secret tunnel". The Forward . Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Chaos ensues as NYPD tries to fill in secret tunnel in Chabad HQ synagogue". The Times of Israel . January 9, 2024. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  13. ↑ Somasundaram, Praveena (January 10, 2024). "Nine charged in brawl over attempt to close secret tunnel at NYC synagogue". The Washington Post . ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  14. ↑ Offenhartz, Jake (January 9, 2024). "A secret tunnel in a NYC synagogue leads to a brawl between police and worshippers". AP News . Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  15. ↑ Rosman, Katherine (April 10, 2024). "13 Young Men Charged in Brooklyn Synagogue 'Tunnel' Melee". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 11, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  16. ↑ Swaminathan, Sneha (January 9, 2024). "US: Secret tunnel found under Brooklyn synagogue, wild riot breaks out as police make arrests. Video". WION . Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  17. ↑ Rosman, Katherine; Shapiro, Eliza (January 11, 2024). "60-Foot Tunnel Under Synagogue Left 2 Buildings Unstable, Officials Say". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  18. ↑ Rozner, Lisa (January 9, 2024). "Arrests made after brawl with police at Chabad Lubavitch synagogue in Brooklyn - CBS New York". CBS News . Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  19. ↑ Graziosi, Graig (January 9, 2024). "Riot breaks out after NYPD tries to seal secret synagogue tunnels in Brooklyn". The Independent . Archived from the original on January 9, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  20. 1 2 Dickson, Ej (January 9, 2024). "Twitter Explodes With Antisemitic Misinfo After Secret Tunnels Found Under NYC Synagogue". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024.
  21. ↑ Nehorai, Elad (January 10, 2024). "How Twitter activists turned a viral story about Orthodox Jews into a modern blood libel". The Forward . Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  22. ↑ Bickerton, James (January 10, 2024). "Synagogue secret tunnel mattress prompts frenzied speculation". Newsweek . Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
  23. ↑ Ahmed, Sofia; Cercone, Jeff (January 12, 2024). "Antisemitic claims about Brooklyn synagogue tunnel spread on social media". Politifact . Archived from the original on February 27, 2024.
  24. ↑ Hudnall, Hannah (January 12, 2024). "Viral post errs on nature, contents of tunnel near New York synagogue | Fact check". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.

40°40′08″N73°56′34″W / 40.66889°N 73.94278°W / 40.66889; -73.94278

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.