Four Men Charged in Brooklyn Synagogue Tunnel Altercation Set for April Trial

NEW YORK—Four individuals accused of vandalizing a Brooklyn synagogue during a brawl that erupted after the discovery of a hidden tunnel at the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement of Hasidic Judaism are preparing to go to trial, having declined a plea agreement from prosecutors.

The accused face felony charges of criminal mischief for their supposed involvement in a fight last January that resulted in damage to parts of the renowned complex, a highly valued Jewish site that attracts thousands of visitors each year.

At the time, numerous young men gathered to protest the synagogue leadership’s efforts to close a makeshift tunnel that some congregants had dug without permission to extend the worship area. When police arrived, prosecutors allege that several individuals removed wooden siding from a wall, threw prayer books into the air, and refused to vacate the dusty excavation zone.

Following the conflict, sixteen people were arrested, and portions of the altercation were recorded on video, sparking significant interest and discussion on social media.

During a court session on Monday, six defendants pled guilty to lesser charges and consented to a protection order that forbids them from making any “alterations, excavations, or demolitions to the synagogue” for a period of three years. Previously, six others had also entered guilty pleas to reduced charges.

“This reflects poorly on the Chabad movement as far as I’m concerned,” Judge Adam Perlmutter stated, reprimanding the defendants for failing to consult with synagogue leaders regarding the expansion scheme. “They have constructed buildings all over the world, which entails fundraising, hiring architects, obtaining permits, and making necessary zoning adjustments. That’s how it’s done in this town.”

Four of the accused—Yaakov Rothchild, Yisroel Binyamin, Yerachmiel Blumenfeld, and Menachem Maidanchik—have rejected the plea offer from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office. They are set to appear in court for trial on April 28, facing a felony charge that could result in a maximum prison sentence of seven years.

Jonathan Strauss, an attorney representing Blumenfeld, denounced the charges as an “outrage” and characterized his client as having been involved in a “civil dispute that has been ongoing for many years.”

“He’s just a 20-year-old kid,” Strauss noted. “Young individuals typically don’t independently take such actions without direction from older, more experienced figures in positions of authority.”

Supporters of the tunnel contend that they were fulfilling the wishes of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the prominent leader of the Chabad movement, who advocated for the expansion of the crowded religious space before his passing in 1994. Some members of the Chabad community hold the belief that Schneerson is alive and view him as a messianic figure.

This messianic perspective has long been dismissed by Chabad’s leaders, who described the unauthorized tunnel as an instance of reckless youth vandalism.

“There is no righteous justification, religious or otherwise, for their unlawful and violent conduct,” stated Rabbi Motti Seligson, a spokesperson for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. “We hope they reflect on the Rebbe’s teachings concerning the highest ethical standards and recognize the serious mistake they made, making amends for the significant pain and damage they caused.”

The tunnel, measuring 60 feet in length and 8 feet in width, connected several buildings in the Jewish complex through holes that had been cut into the basement walls.

An investigation by the Department of Buildings revealed that the excavation had compromised the structural integrity of several adjacent buildings, which led to vacate orders. The tunnel has since been filled with concrete.