Chaos broke out at a synagogue in Brooklyn, New York City, on Wednesday after young Jewish men climbed into an illegal tunnel that construction workers were called in to fill.
Ten people were arrested after the New York Police Department was called to the temple on 770 Eastern Parkway, in the Crown Heights neighborhood.
Rabbi Yosef Braun, who runs the synagogue, said the actions of the young men were “horrid” and a disgrace to the holy site.
The issue began with a decades-long dispute within the Chabad – one of the largest groups of Hasidic Jews in the world – which pitched the Chabad-Lubavitch movement against the synagogue leadership.
The two sides had conflicting claims over the ownership of a century-old building that serves as the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters.
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Over several months, members of the Chabad-Lubavitch have been excavating tunnels beneath the synagogue. The purpose of these tunnels remains unclear, with reports suggesting intentions to reach an abandoned women’s mikvah (ritual baths) or to expand the synagogue.
In December, the tunnels were discovered, prompting the synagogue’s leaders to engage structural engineers to assess the damage.
Recently, cement mixers arrived to fill the tunnels, leading to a heated reaction from young Orthodox men.
Many of them tore down wooden walls concealing the tunnel entrance and rushed inside to prevent the filling process.
Videos posted on social media showed numerous NYPD officers attempting to control the agitated young men and prevent them from re-entering the tunnels.
Some of the men persist in charging back through the tunnels, while a large crowd jeered at the police presence.
Outside the synagogue, NYPD officers held the men back.
In a video, one man could be heard challenging an NYPD officer, who replied: “We don’t do that in America.”
Hasidic news site COL Live reported many of the young men were from Israel.
After several hours, NYPD officers were seen bringing handcuffed men out from the tunnels.
A NYPD spokesman told DailyMail.com: “On Monday, January 8, 2024, at approximately 1530 hours, police responded to 911 calls of a disorderly group outside of 770 Eastern Parkway, within the confines of the 71 Precinct.
“Upon arrival, officers were informed that a group of individuals unlawfully entered 770 Eastern Parkway by damaging a wall.
“At this time, it is known that a number of individuals were taken into custody. Charges are pending.
“No injuries were reported as a result of this incident.”
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