For several weeks, one of the main topics on social media has been the mysterious tunnel underneath the New York City synagogue. Multiple rumours were flying around its discovery, which spread on social media like wildfire. Internet users shared news about the alleged connection of the synagogue with the Jewish Children’s Museum or the discovery of bloody mattresses. We decided to take a closer look at these narratives and verify the most popular of them.
Did the police find the tunnel?
The mysterious discovery took place on 8 January, 2024. On that day, the news spread about a tunnel located underneath the synagogue in Brooklyn, New York. The building is part of the headquarters complex of Chabad-Lubavitch, a Hasidic Jewish dynasty. Numerous videos showing police intervention and arrests began circulating on social media. Many people reported that the tunnel was found by the NYPD. Examples of such claims can be found, among others, on X.
In fact, the officials of the Jewish community of Chabad-Lubavitch called the police. This happened after the rebellious members of the group did not allow to fill the tunnel with cement. As it turned out, they tried to expand the synagogue according to the will of Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He was the last leader (Rebbe) of the Lubavitch Hasidic dynasty until 1994, when he died without appointing his successor. Members of the rouge faction, mainly young Jews, claim that Shneerson is the Messiah and is still alive. Therefore, they wanted to expand the area of the synagogue against the directions of the officials of the Jewish community.
The tunnel is not connected to the Children’s Museum
Another story circulating online said that the tunnel led to the Children’s Museum, which is located on the opposite side of the street from the Chabad-Lubavitch complex. Obviously, such a suggestion caused an avalanche of rumours about an alleged Jewish paedophile network and the smuggling of kidnapped children through secret tunnels. Posts on this topic appeared, for example, on Instagram in English. Information that the tunnel leads to the museum could also be found in Polish web space.
These claims were based on a video circulating online. It shows a Jew getting out of a manhole. According to numerous social media posts, the manhole was allegedly located right next to the wall of the Jewish Children’s Museum, which suggested that the tunnel stretched all the way to the museum building. According to some internet users, this means that the building was used for child trafficking.
In reality, the manhole is located on the same side of the street as the Chabad-Lubavitch complex, opposite the Jewish Children’s Museum, not against its wall. This can be seen in the photo below. The black arrow points to the location of the Chabad-Lubavitch complex, and the green one marks the museum.
The final confirmation of this fact is the statement of the New York Department of Buildings. It clearly stated that the tunnel did not pass under the street to the other side. It was about 18 meters long and was located at the back of the complex. Its area is marked on this picture provided by the Department of Buildings.
No bloody mattresses were found in tunnel
Another issue that sparked discussions on social media was the alleged stained mattresses, which were to be found in the tunnel. Numerous posts on Instagram or Facebook suggested that because of their small size, these must have been children’s mattresses. One post included part of a video that shows a mattress with a dark stain being removed from a wall. The video was then shared by numerous users. Some claimed that bloodstained cribs and baby strollers were also found.
After watching the whole video, it soon becomes obvious that the mattress was not taken out of the tunnel at all. It was standing in a vertical position between the wall and the wooden panels. It served as a form of padding between them. Nor has any visual evidence ever been presented for the claims about the cribs and strollers. The New York Department of Buildings stated that the only things found in the tunnel were tools and debris. No evidence was found to support the ominous rumours.
The New York Police Department arrested 10 people aged 19-21 in connection with the event. They were charged with endangering others and obstructing government work. None of the detainees were charged with paedophilia, child trafficking, or any other form of violence against minors. Therefore, the accusations circulating on the internet about criminal activities in the tunnel under the New York City synagogue have no basis in reality.
Summary
As always, there are numerous rumours and false information surrounding events that evoke strong emotions. In this case, many narratives were intertwined with anti-Semitic conspiracy theories. In reality, however, the incident involved a small, rebellious group in the New York Jewish community. Its members decided to unlawfully fulfil the will of its late leader, whom they consider to be the Messiah. This had nothing to do with sinister practices related to violence against minors.
Sources:
USA Today: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2024/01/19/chabad-lubavitch-synagogue-tunnel-childrens-museum-fact-check/72280952007/
FactCheck.org: https://www.factcheck.org/2024/01/what-we-know-about-the-brooklyn-synagogue-tunnel/
France24: https://observers.france24.com/en/americas/20240116-discovered-tunnel-under-a-new-york-synagogue-watch-out-for-false-claims
CrownHeights.info: https://crownheights.info/crime/850611/breaking-chaos-in-77o-after-attempt-made-to-close-the-tunnel-under-770/
