Orthodox Jews Dig Tunnel Under Brooklyn Synagogue to Protest Lack of Space

The excavation, planned since 2020, led to arrests and a partial vacate order due to structural concerns.

A group of Orthodox Jews from the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement dug a tunnel under their synagogue in Brooklyn, New York, as a statement to their community's elders that they needed more room to pray.
The group, made up mostly of teens and 20-somethings, began planning their excavation as early as 2020, driven by a desire to fulfill what they believe was a goal by the late Lubavitcher Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson to expand the synagogue.
The excavation was supported by a 'silent majority' in the Chabad community who believed the synagogue desperately needed to be expanded.
Chaos broke out when police were called in after some extremists attempted to fend off cement laborers from entering the hollowed-out space, resulting in cops arresting nine men ages 19 to 21.
An investigation by the city Department of Building found that the amateur diggers did not properly shore up the tunnel, leading the city to issue a partial vacate order for two single-story extension buildings connected to the synagogue complex over concerns about their structural stability.