The astonishing scenes of Orthodox Jews fighting fiercely with New York City police, coupled with the existence of a secret tunnel, set in motion a long series of stories and interpretations, some of them blatantly anti-Semitic. To add spice, the synagogue in question is referenced to Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, whose grave President Javier Milei visited last December. The background of the fight is an intern in that synagogue run by the orthodox Chabad Lubavitch movement, which also has a strong presence in Argentina.
Faced with the “officialism” of the synagogue known as 770, an even more orthodox “opposition” appeared and affirms that Rabbi Schneerson did not die (in 1994), but is the Messiah that the Jewish people await. That group built a tunnel or renovated an old tunnel to reach the synagogue and the “government party” hired a cement truck to cover the access. The two currents are fiercely opposed, although their models are not very different: a society from three hundred years ago, with women especially subjugated.
The intern and the police
The “messianic” group (because they maintain that Schneerson is the Messiah) says that the rebbe’s mandate is to enlarge the synagogue located at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn. For this reason, supposedly, they built the tunnel or reactivated an old tunnel that went to some ritual baths in a building a few meters away. Furthermore, they affirm that in this way they reach a wall to which they give a religious identity because Schneerson prayed there.
The leadership of the 770 considers them “extremists” and litigated against them judicially. It must have been difficult to resolve the mess for a magistrate who was brought, for example, to unusual questions: the messianists questioned the existence of a plaque on a wall honoring Schneerson, but remembering his death in 1994. Obviously The messianists claim that the rebbe did not die and demand that the plaque be removed.
Since the process was taking a long time, the official leaders of the synagogue hired the cement truck. When the Messianics saw the truck, they entered the synagogue through the tunnel to prevent a sealing from being made. The “ruling party” then called the police. What followed was a confrontation between the messianists, dressed in their black clothes and hats, with the uniformed troops. The result: the police used a spray with which they immobilized the rioters and the matter ended with nine arrests.
The anti-Semitic versions
Of course, a huge number of posts quickly appeared on social network The tunnel—in those versions—appeared as a secret passage to bring the kidnapped children. As is evident, no evidence was provided, other than the existence of an old baby stroller, piled up with other disused furniture. There was never any report of a missing child.
But the opportunity served to revive an investigation from the 90s of a sect, Lev Tahor, who called themselves the Jewish Taliban, because they forced women to wear the same black clothing, from head to toe, that they were seen wearing. the women of the Islamic Taliban of Afghanistan. The sect had to move from the United States to Israel and then to Mexico, Guatemala and Canada. Its leaders—the rabbi’s name was Schlomo Helbrans—spent years in prison, but not for sacrificing children but for the recruitment—a virtual kidnapping—of teenagers, washing their heads. There are also similar judicial cases against sects of all kinds, mainly evangelicals.
But neither the tunnel nor the synagogue nor the messianics have any relationship with that sect nor do they advocate any type of sacrifice. It is an anti-Semitic device.
The white tent
The New York authorities, meanwhile, decided to preventively close the synagogue. Maybe to mediate a kind of truce. The argument is that “the structural situation of the building is being analyzed”, that is, whether there is a danger of collapse in the temple or in the tunnel. Perhaps the judge wants to know more about the conflict.
The regular attendees at 770 then decided to set up a white tent at the door and daily prayer takes place there.
The progressive rabbis look at the clash dumbfounded: “We have to suffer in the 21st century a conflict that has the conceptual tools of the 18th century,” reasoned one of the referents when asked by Página/12.
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2024-01-12 03:01:00#Orthodox #Jews #police #secret #tunnel #York #story #discovery #ChabadLubavitch #synagogue #inmate #ended #detainees
