CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn (PIX11) – The Department of Buildings has issued emergency work and partial vacate orders for properties near the Chabad Headquarters in Brooklyn where chaos broke out in an underground synagogue.
A group broke into the synagogue underneath the Chabad Headquarters on Monday, according to the NYPD. The Chabad Headquarters, at 770 Eastern Parkway, is located next to 784 and 786 Eastern Parkway, which are at the center of the DOB's investigation.
An investigation found an underground tunnel that's around 60 feet long and 8 feet wide with a ceiling of 5 feet underneath an extension that's behind 784-786 Eastern Parkway, according to the DOB. Officials said the extension connects the two Eastern Parkway buildings, a two-story building at 302 Kingston Ave. and another extension behind 1457 Union St.
The construction of the tunnel was made without approval and permits, according to the DOB. The DOB has ordered the owners of 784-786 Eastern Parkway to stabilize the tunnels or fill them if needed.
A complaint filed with the DOB said tunnels had been dug underneath the Chabad Headquarters that connected to the synagogue, allegedly “destroying” the building’s foundation.
The director of media for Chabad.org, Motti Seligson, posted on X Tuesday that "a group of extremist students" had broken through walls in properties near the synagogue and gained access to it. In videos posted to Citizen App, a large group of people were seen moving pews in the synagogue as officers started placing others in handcuffs.
Prosecutors charged five people in connection to chaos at the synagogue, according to the Kings County District Attorney's Office.
Seligson said on X that the tunnel discovered by the DOB was not, "the space referred to in press reports as a 'secret tunnel' running parallel to Kingston Avenue."
The owners of 784-786 Eastern Parkway were also hit with permit violations for work done at the tunnel, according to the DOB.
Officials said partial vacate orders were issued for the extensions behind 784-786 Eastern Parkway and 1457 Union St. A full vacate order was issued for 302 Kingston Ave. over fire safety concerns, according to the DOB.
"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," Seligson said.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.
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