A historic synagogue in Brooklyn became the scene of a riot when a group of defiant Orthodox men attempted to prevent police and construction workers from sealing a clandestine tunnel they had illicitly excavated to access a decommissioned women's bath.
The irate men, predominantly believed to be in their teens and early twenties, were captured on video on Monday, dismantling wooden paneling and support beams at the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Crown Heights.
Additional footage from the temple on Eastern Parkway depicted law enforcement officers striving to restrain dozens of Hasidic Jewish men as they forced their way into the 20-foot-wide cavity beneath the women's section, toppling wooden pews in their fury.
Synagogue leader Rabbi Yosef Braun denounced those involved, stating they arrived "ready to destroy and deface the Holy Walls" a situation he described as "mind-boggling."
For nearly a year, members of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement have allegedly been excavating a tunnel beneath the Crown Heights synagogue. The tunnel was purportedly designed to reach an abandoned women's mikvah or ritual bath around the corner and "expand" the synagogue, according to Jewish outlet Forward. However, the motivation behind the Chabad-Lubavitch community members' decision to start the excavation remains unclear.
The tunnel was eventually discovered last month when neighbors reported hearing suspicious noises emanating from beneath their homes, as per Israel National News reports.
A video posted on CrownHeights.Infos Instagram in December revealed a dark, dirt-walled space in the depths of the closed women's mikvah nearby.
Upon discovery, the synagogue leadership summoned structural engineers to evaluate the damage. On Monday, cement mixers arrived to fill in the tunnel, triggering the riot.
The Hasidic men were seen using a hammer to penetrate the synagogue's brick walls. Some even managed to enter the makeshift tunnel, with footage showing at least one man audaciously drinking from a can inside the tunnel as officers attempted to deter others from entering.
Several rioters were also observed mocking the officers and recording their efforts to access the tunnel, which they had been excavating for months, according to Forward.
Law enforcement officers were also seen restraining men outside the century-old synagogue, the headquarters of one of the world's largest groups of Hasidic Jews.
After several hours, footage showed officers escorting the men out of the tunnel in handcuffs. At least a dozen men were taken into custody, sources informed The Post. Ten were charged with criminal misdemeanors, another was charged with obstructing governmental administration, and one other was issued a summons for disorderly conduct, sources said.
No injuries were reported in the melee.
Rabbi Yosef Braun implored other members of the Jewish community "to call them out in all possible ways and strong terms."
Braun expressed horror at their defacement of the "shul," or synagogue, stating that to "demolish and destroy a shul never mind the dangerous aspect, never mind the religious aspect its mind-boggling.
"They need to be put in their place, put in their place in so many meanings of the word," he added.
The riot occurred amidst ongoing disputes over the legal ownership of the property.
In a statement following the altercation, Chabad-Lubavitcher Rabbi Motti Seligson noted that the movement has "attempted to gain proper control of the premises through the New York State court system."
"Unfortunately, despite consistently prevailing in court, the process has dragged on for years."
However, he too condemned the actions of the young men who clashed with the police, labeling them "extremists" and stating their actions have compelled the city to temporarily close the building pending a structural safety review.
"This is, obviously, deeply distressing to the Lubavitch movement and the Jewish community worldwide," he wrote on X.
"We hope and pray to be able to expeditiously restore the sanctity and decorum of this holy place."
Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, the Chabad-Lubavitch chairman, also issued a statement expressing gratitude to the NYPD for its assistance.
"The Chabad-Lubavitch community is pained by the vandalism of a group of young agitators who damaged the synagogue below Chabad Headquarters," he said.
"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," he continued. "We are grateful for the outpouring of concern, and for our Chabad Lubavitch institutions around the world."
Login