A group of nine individuals from a Hasidic Jewish community in New York was arrested and charged for having a secret tunnel connected to a historic synagogue.
The tunnel was discovered when city officials and leaders tried to close it down, leading to a confrontation with the police.
The charges include criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and obstructing governmental administration. The Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters referred to the men as “extremist students.”
The illegal tunnel, located in Brooklyn, raised concerns about potential damage to the significant Jewish site. During a brawl with the police, some men broke through the synagogue’s wall, resulting in arrests.
Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky expressed gratitude to the police, condemning the actions of the “young agitators.” The motive behind building the tunnel remains unclear, with speculation about hastening the synagogue’s expansion.
The Chabad-Lubavitch movement has internal divisions, one of which centers around the belief that Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the Jewish Messiah.
This disagreement reportedly played a role in the tunnel dispute. The synagogue, once the home of Rabbi Schneerson, is temporarily closed for inspection.
(Source: BBC)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67938683