A 50ft tunnel has been discovered under a Brooklyn synagogue, sparking a riot with police who raided the building as Jewish community leaders condemned the actions
A terrifying 50ft hidden tunnel discovered under a synagogue led to ten arrests as police stormed the building.
It comes after the shocking discovery of a massive tunnel from the Union Mikvah, in Brooklyn, New York, with footage showing a small hole in the wall leading to a dark tunnel dug from the synagogue's basement. The tunnel, described as "amateurish", extends all the way to '770' - the address of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement's World Headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
The huge tunnel has been compared to those used by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. However, its discovery sparked chaos inside the Mikvah as police were filmed entering the building, reportedly trying to block the passageway.
According to Jewish publication Forward, the New York Police Department was called to 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighbourhood, where several Chabad students resisted construction crews called to fill in the tunnel connecting the synagogue to the defunct Chabad mikvah around the corner.
A group of students reportedly attempted to tear down wooden panels to stop a cement truck from blocking tunnels while others watched and filmed it on their phones. The police arrested 10 people, and some men wearing Jewish clothes were seen being taken away with their hands tied up. Jewish leaders are really upset about the damage done to the synagogue by all the digging.
Rabbi Yosef Braun, a big name in the Crown Heights Jewish court, was very sad about it. He said in a message: "Whose hand did not shake and tremble when they touched those walls - when they took a hammer to those walls? It is as painful as can be."
No one's sure why or who made the tunnels. They think someone started making them in the last couple of years. The Chabad-Lubavitch community said: "The Chabad-Lubavitch community is pained by the vandalism of a group of young agitators who damaged the synagogue below Chabad Headquarters at 770 Eastern Parkway Monday night."
They're going to look into it and fix the synagogue. They thanked the police for being good at their job and kind. They're also thankful for all the nice messages and help from other Chabad-Lubavitch places around the world.
The leaders of Beis Chayeinu - the Chabad synagogue that meets in 770 - hired structural engineers to assess the damage and safety risks, and eventually decided to repair it.
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