Synagogue Secret Tunnel Mattress Prompts Frenzied Speculation
NewsweekJan 10
NYC: Tunnels Under Synagogue Spark Chaos
The Facts
New York City police have closed off the area around a highly revered synagogue after chaos between members of the Hasidic Jewish community broke out on Monday. The altercation was reportedly sparked by the temple leaders' attempt to seal off the opening of a recently discovered tunnel built by several young men in the community. Proponents of the tunnel staged a protest in response.
The disagreement turned violent and police clashed with members of the community, arresting 12 worshippers for allegedly damaging the underground synagogue beneath the Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters in Crown Heights, New York. Chabad-Lubavitch is one of the most prominent organizations in Orthodox Judaism, and thousands of Hasidic Jews visit the building every year.
The Spin
Narrative A
The whole situation surrounding the secret tunnels underneath one of the world's most influential Jewish headquarters is quite strange, and the New York Police Department has decried the "odious actions" of the young agitators. Yet the NYPD and Chabad-Lubavitch headquarters have yet to weigh on questions from media organizations. A full investigation is needed to provide context into this unusual discovery and heated interaction.
Narrative B
Antisemitism continues to rise around the world, and conspiracy theorists are using the latest incident with the Chabad-Lubavitch community to spread demeaning tropes. A communal dispute over a synagogue by a small group of bad actors should never spread general antisemitic hate speech. The tunnels built in New York were created by some misguided young men, and extra effort in media coverage must be made to avoid the forthcoming investigation being colored by toxic conspiracies.