Wild scenes erupted at a Brooklyn synagogue on Monday after construction workers arrived to fill a tunnel illegally dug into the ground – and young Orthodox Jewish men climbed in the way to block the closure.
Local media reported that ten people were arrested when New York police were called in to quell the riot. Video cameras rolled to capture the chaos as police clashed with the community.
The rabbi who leads the synagogue, Josef Braun, said the young men's actions were “horrible” and a disgrace to the holy site.
The dispute is believed to stem from a decades-long division within Chabad – one of the largest groups of Hasidic Jews in the world – that has pitted the Chabad-Lubavitch movement against the synagogue's leadership.
The two sides apparently disagree about who legally owns the century-old house, which also serves as the world headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch.
The synagogue's wooden walls are torn apart, scenes the rabbi described as “stunning.”
The NYPD was called to try to get the young men out of the tunnels and allow the passageway to be filled with cement
On Monday, members of the synagogue tore out wooden panels inside to reveal the entrance to the tunnel and enter to prevent the tunnels from being filled
There were wild scenes at the Crown Heights building on Monday afternoon
Members of Chabad-Lubavitch have been digging tunnels under the synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn for many months.
The purpose of the tunnel is unclear: the website Forward.com reported that it was intended to reach an abandoned mikveh, or ritual baths for women. The website said the tunnel was dug to “expand” the synagogue, although it was unclear how this would be done.
The tunnels were discovered in December and synagogue officials hired civil engineers to assess the damage.
On Monday, concrete mixers arrived to fill the tunnels, and the young Orthodox men reacted angrily – many of them tore down the wooden walls that covered the entrance to the secret tunnels and ran in to prevent them from being filled.
Videos posted on social media showed dozens of NYPD officers on the scene trying to push the angry young men back from the entrance to the tunnel.
Some of the men try to rush back through the tunnels as a large crowd taunts the police.
In front of the synagogue, NYPD officers held the men back.
The picture shows young men being arrested, handcuffed and taken away by the NYPD
Crowds of Hasidic men stand in front of the building on Monday evening
The NYPD worked to clear people from the building so construction crews could work
A police cruiser can be seen in front of the building, 770 Eastern Parkway
On Monday evening, an NYPD officer is seen speaking to a member of the community
A man challenges the NYPD officer, who responds, “We don’t do that in America.”
The Hasidic news site COL Live reported that many of the young men were from Israel.
After several hours, NYPD officers were seen removing handcuffed men from the tunnels. Videos also showed at least one community member using the tunnels to reach the sidewalk in front of the building.
An NYPD spokesperson told : “On Monday, January 8, 2024, at approximately 3:30 p.m., police responded to 911 calls of a disorderly group outside 770 Eastern Parkway, within the boundaries of the 71 Precinct.”
“Upon arrival, officers were informed that a group of individuals had illegally entered 770 Eastern Parkway by damaging a wall.
“At this time it is known that several people have been taken into custody. Charges are pending.
“No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.”
A man can be seen coming out of the tunnels under the synagogue
Braun, the synagogue's rabbi, condemned the young men.
He said they had arrived at the site “ready to destroy and deface the sacred walls” and called on other members of his congregation to “confront them in all possible ways and in clear words.”
Braun said he was horrified that they destroyed the “shul,” the synagogue.
He said: “To demolish and destroy a shul – not to mention the dangerous aspect, not to mention the religious aspect – it is mind-boggling.”
Braun said the young men's actions were “painful” for his community.
“They need to be put in their place in so many senses of the word,” he concluded.