Nine Orthodox Jewish men were arrested at the world headquarters of a Jewish sect in Brooklyn, following a confrontation with New York police officers.
The unrest at the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic branch in Crown Heights occurred after the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) arrived to investigate illegal excavation work and its impact on neighboring structures.
“We have issued emergency work orders to stabilize the buildings above the tunnel, vacate orders in parts of the buildings to ensure occupant safety, and enforcement actions against the property owners for the illegal work,” Andrew Rudansky, DOB press secretary, told The Epoch Times in a statement.
The Associated Press reported that a cement truck was on hand to close the tunnel’s opening; however, a Chabad spokesperson stated that the so-called tunnel was actually a room dug out by agitators beneath a ground-level extension made by the synagogue decades ago.
“On Wednesday evening, concrete was poured to fill in this annex room adjoining the basement-level synagogue and shore up the damaged walls in close coordination with the DOB,” Chabad’s director of media Mort Seligson posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The protestors are allegedly members of a smaller splinter group of the Chabad Lubavitch movement who believe their elected congregation officers are the actual synagogue leaders, but the building is reportedly owned by the central Chabad movement.
“A variety of court cases have found that the central Chabad movement has the right to control the building and the synagogue,” New York University (NYU) Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman told The Epoch Times. “This extremist minority group has been contesting the right of the Chabad movement as a whole to control the group’s central synagogue.”
Mr. Schiffman added that Chabad and Chabad-Lubavitch refer to the same group. However, he noted that within the sect, there is a group of Messianists who refuse to acknowledge the death of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Instead, they proclaim him to be the Messiah.
“Rabbi Schneerson was the leader of the overall Chabad movement and was a major leader within the Jewish community as a whole with tremendous influence,” he said. “These extremists believe they are the only ones who properly represent his beliefs. The larger mainstream group disputes this totally.”
Mr. Schiffman is the global distinguished professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies at NYU’s Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies in Lower Manhattan.
The clash with the police occurred in front of 770 Eastern Parkway within the 71st police precinct. No injuries were reported.
Although 12 individuals were initially taken into custody, a spokesperson for the New York Police Department (NYPD) stated that only nine were arrested and charged. The charges include criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, attempted criminal mischief, an attempted hate crime, attempted reckless endangerment, and obstruction of governmental administration.
Noam Dahan, 20, David Hayon, 22, Henachem Mulakando, 19, Shmuel Malka, 19, Dov Bear Shenhav, 20, Blumenfeld Yerachmiel, 20, Menachem Klieman, 19, Menachem Koopshik, 21, and Levi Lahav, 20, were among those arrested and charged.
“The police do a tremendous amount to protect the Jewish communities in New York City and the attack on them was inexcusable,” Mr. Schiffman said in an interview. “This is an embarrassing and disgraceful precedent, and one which I hope will never be repeated.”
A DOB investigation identified a 60-foot-long underground space, characterizing it as a tunnel. The hollow space, measuring 8 feet in width and with a ceiling height of 5 feet, is located directly behind two four-story buildings at 784 Eastern Parkway and 786 Eastern Parkway.
“We will continue to monitor the progress of this emergency stabilization work, and if necessary, we are ready to take additional actions that may be required in the interest of public safety,” Mr. Rudansky added.
The hidden alcove, constructed without the approval or permits from the DOB, was found to have inadequate, rudimentary shoring in place. Wall openings had been created at the basement levels in several areas of the adjacent buildings.
The DOB issued two violations for work conducted without a permit to the owners of 784 and 786 Eastern Parkway. These violations were for the illegal excavation work done to create the underground space, which was found empty except for dirt, tools, and worker debris.
A Full Vacate Order (FVO) was issued to the two-story building at 302 Kingston Avenue after it was determined that fire-rated walls were removed in the cellar and on the first floor on the North and West sides of the building.
“This is not the space referred to in press reports as a ’secret tunnel' running parallel to Kingston Avenue,” Mr. Seligson wrote on X. “The synagogue carries profound significance to the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and the Jewish people worldwide as the Torah teachings that have emanated from within its holy walls have positively transformed the Jewish people and indeed society at large.”
JewishPress.com reported that the excavation work was linked to an adjacent building where there was a ritual pool of water known as a mikveh.
Rivka Zion, who grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in Israel before relocating to the United States, said immersion in a mikveh by Orthodox Jewish people is similar to baptism in the Christian faith.
“They use the mikveh to purify themselves,” Ms. Zion told The Epoch Times. “The men go to the mikveh once a week and the women go to a separate mikveh. Maybe, they found the water they’re using is pure water.”
Ms. Zion is no longer practicing Orthodox Judaism but said that before getting married in Israel, a Rabbi required her to be immersed in a mikveh.
She further recalled that the Chabad or Chabad Lubavitch group of Jewish observers is very strict and exclusive.
“You cannot intermarry with them even if you’re Jewish,” Ms. Zion added. “You have to be born and raised in the Chabad Lubavitch sect.”
The DOB ordered the property owners to provide structural engineering and egress analysis reports for the two single-story rear extensions.
In response, the building owners have reportedly enlisted a registered architect, a professional engineer, and a general contractor, and are preparing the building reports required to start emergency work.
“The digging of these tunnels has invited anti-Semitic conspiracy theories on the internet that are clearly not in the interest of the Jewish people or our society as a whole,” Mr. Schiffman added.
One of the more sinister conspiracy theories being discussed on X is that the underground structure was used to facilitate child sex trafficking.
