For several days, an extraordinary incident has made the headlines in all the media in Brooklyn. Tensions have flared between Chabad extremists and local authorities over a clandestine tunnel discovered beneath a synagogue.
It all started last December, when the tunnel was discovered beneath the world headquarters of Chabad, an internationally renowned Jewish organization, located in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Following this discovery, synagogue officials quickly called in construction engineers to assess the damage.
Videos posted online revealed the existence of a hidden space, approximately 6 meters in diameter, dug into the raw concrete, under the women’s area of the synagogue, according to the New York Post website.
The footage shows corridors leading to an earth-filled room, where a barrier of around 60cm has been removed from the wall of the neighboring building, revealing a narrow tunnel, only 90cm high. This tunnel extends for around fifty meters, with two turns before leading to the former seat of the men’s ritual bath.
According to the New York Post, members of the Chabad movement have violated the sacredness of a century-old synagogue by digging a clandestine tunnel under its foundations.
This discovery led to a clash between Chabad extremists who claimed legitimacy for this tunnel and local authorities who forcibly closed it. Around ten protesters were also arrested.
The incident sparked widespread reactions in Brooklyn’s Jewish community, with heated debates between those who support the extremists’ actions and those who condemn their behavior. The authorities also promised to prosecute those responsible and enforce the law.
The scandal highlights tensions within the Chabad community and raises questions about the limits of religious freedom. To be continued.
– Modified translation of Al-Masry Al-Youm