A wild riot broke out at a historic synagogue in Brooklyn, New York, after furious young Hasidic Jews tried to stop construction workers and police from using a cement truck to fill an illegal “secret tunnel” network. The Jews had dug the tunnel network six months ago to reportedly expand the synagogue and reach a nearby women’s ritual bath.
As The New York Post reported, young in their late teens and early twenties were caught tearing down wood panels and wooden support beams at the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights.
One can see several men embedded inside the tunnels.
DEVELOPING STORY:
Chaos At 770: A chaotic scene at the Chabad headquarters in Crown Heights, after Bochurim ripped wooden panels to prevent a cement truck from sealing off the recently discovered tunnels.The NYPD are on scene, and 770 will be closed shortly to regain control. pic.twitter.com/ETvEYqtqNI
— Frum TikTok (@FrumTikTok) January 8, 2024
Footage captured by Raws Alerts shows NYPD desperately trying to hold off dozens of the extremist men as they barged their way into the 20-foot-wide compound beneath the women’s section, flipping over wooden pews in a fit of rage. The Post reported the Hasidic men used hammers to break through the synagogue’s brick walls.
WATCH:
#BREAKING: Riot Unfolds as NYPD Responds to Discovery of Underground Tunnel in Brooklyn Temple ⁰
#CrownHeights | #BrooklynCurrently, numerous law enforcementare at the scene of a riot at the Chabad headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, where individuals tore wooden… pic.twitter.com/U4oSYL0Fkb
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) January 9, 2024
Several of the Jews refused to vacate the tunnels despite massive police intervention, leading to the arrest of at least ten individuals to wild applause.
#WATCH : : A chaotic scene at the Chabad headquarters in Crown Heights, after Bochurim ripped wooden panels to prevent a cement truck from sealing off the recently discovered tunnels.#CrownHeights #Brooklyn #NewYork #Secrettunnels #tunnels #NYPD #underground #BREAKING pic.twitter.com/sKaOB5c07P
— mishikasingh (@mishika_singh) January 9, 2024
Footage also shows stained mattresses were pulled from the tunnels, which will undoubtedly raise a few questions.
BREAKING: The NYPD discover secret tunnels under the Chabad (a Hasidic Jewish sect) HQ synagogue in NYC that reportedly connected to the female quarters.
STAINED MATTRESSES are being pulled from the underground tunnels.
ARRESTS are reported.pic.twitter.com/L9CgFLf4tr
— أبو عمّار (@MaajidNawaz) January 9, 2024
The Jewish tunnels were then finally sealed by law enforcement.
BREAKING: The Jewish tunnels are being sealed. pic.twitter.com/26htvDnLdi
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) January 9, 2024
The Daily Mail reports that while the young men have butted heads with the synagogue over who owns the main property, the appeal of the ritual bath is unclear at this point.
The Israeli National News reported the tunnels were dug six months ago and discovered last month when neighbors heard strange noises coming underneath their homes. Following the discovery, the synagogue’s leadership called in structural engineers to analyze the damage.
The Chabad-Lubavitch Headquarters released a statement condemning the young rioters’ actions and thanking law enforcement.
The Chabad-Lubavitch community is pained by the vandalism of a group of young agitators who damaged the synagogue below Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway Monday night.
These odious actions will be investigated, and the sanctity of the synagogue will be restored. Our thanks to the NYPD for their professionalism and sensitivity.
We are grateful for the outpouring of concern and for the support of our Chabad-Lubavitch institutions around the world.
