Under heavy police protection, cement trucks pulled up at 770 Eastern Parkway and began to fill the section under the Kingston Avenue women’s Shul with cement on Wednesday evening.
Earlier in the day, workers from the New York City Department of Buildings and officially declared the building ‘perilous to life.’
They placed posters on the front door that read: “THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS HAS DETERMINED THAT CONDITIONS WITHIN THIS PREMISES, ARE IMMINENTLY PERILOUS TO LIFE. THIS PREMISES HAS BEEN VACATED AND RE-ENTRY IS PROHIBITED UNTIL SUCH CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE DEPARTMENT. VIOLATORS OF THIS COMMISSIONER’S VACATE ORDER ARE SUBJECT TO ARREST.”
The area under the Shul, which had previously been filled with dirt, had been dug out by a group of 770 bochurim in recent months, in an attempt to expand the iconic Shul.
The unsanctioned digging under the Shul has caused the closure of the Shul and the offices upstairs.
The NYC Department of Buildings said Wednesday that following an “extensive investigation,” they determined that a tunnel had been “illegally excavated” under a single-story extension located behind the four-story buildings at 784 and 786 Eastern Parkway.
The tunnel is approximately 60 feet long, 8 feet wide, and with a ceiling height of 5 feet and connects four neighboring buildings — including those at 784 and 786 Eastern Parkway, the DOB said.
The passageway was constructed without approval and permits from the DOB and had inadequate rudimentary shoring in place, the agency said. The tunnel was found to be empty except for dirt, tools, and debris from the workers, and wall openings were found in several areas of the adjacent buildings, it said.
Engineers determined the excavation work caused structural stability issues to two single-story extensions — the one located above the tunnel and another connected to it — and partial vacate orders have been issued for both buildings, the DOB said.
The DOB said it has also issued a full vacate order to a two-story building at 302 Kingston Ave., which is connected to the tunnel, due to fire safety concerns after fire-rated walls were removed in the cellar and on the first floor. The other neighboring structures are not impacted, it said.
The agency said it has additionally issued emergency work orders to the owners of the properties to stabilize the buildings above the tunnel, as well as two work without permit violations for the illegal work.
The cement was being added on Wednesday to shore up the women’s shul which was left without support, a source told COLlive.
The current focus is on repairing the wall to ensure the Shul is open for Shabbos, they said.
The broader project will be addressed at a later stage.
VIDEO: Engineers inspect the scope of the repair
Incredibly stupid to just start digging like that.
How do tunnels in any way expand the shul?
B”H
Better than nothing. What would you have done instead? Things could NOT have continued the way they were.
We would have Aguch take control of 770 and then it will be even more amazing than the museum across the street. But no! all you will give us is a big mess and a lot of cement
Look at the results. It was not better. They could have started petitions, they could have spoken in 770 and various shuls, they could have approached Aguch and the gabboim, they could have asked their mashpiim
Beautiful to see the cement trucks it looks like expansion finally happening.
We’ve gone so low that we’re already numb to this.
But it’s outrageous and disgusting, that in our 770 we can’t fix structural problems without HEAVY police protection.
From who?!
NOT from Islamic terrorists or street criminals, but from our very own “Bochrim”, who our Mosdos educated, and instead of living like a chosid, they distort the rebbe’s words to commit acts of intimidation, violence and destruction!!
These are not our bochurim and these are not our mosdos.
The longer we continue to include these people in our community, the further away we will get from anything changing
Actually yes they are. Just because you don’t support it doesn’t mean they aren’t Chabad. They absolutely are and this time we have no one to point fingers at but ourselves.
they are NOT our bochrim or our mosdos . They are to chabad what neturei Karta are to satmar . An embarrasment of a fringe minority no one wants to be associated with . They need to go- this was the last straw . TAKE BACK 770!!!
Destroy the foundation. Have it filled up with concrete. Now will Aguch please take control of 770 away from these “geniuses”?
Sad this is what we all about?
BH, we won. Not fanatics control under normal in the community
How is this a win we still need to expand and filling it up with cement is going to make it take longer
B”H
Expand where?
Found where to extend
Now it just needs to be done in a normal way
Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Now move aside and let the grownups be in charge
The rebbe said we should expand,so you are saying that you won, going against the rebbe shame on you
Exactly, expand. No destroying
Is rebbe proud to see this shame?
What’s real “Lubavitcher” meaning ?
a Lubavitcher knows that the Rebbe wanted to expand 770, but putting everyones lives at risk by digging a tunnel and having the risk that 770 might collapse on your head is NOT the way to do it, and the Rebbe would definetly not agree with it in any way
The rebbe said you should expand? I dont think the rebbe would approve of the way it was done.
Maybe the rebbe did say you should expand, but if so it should be done the right way. NOT TO MAKE A CHILUL HASHEM TO FULFIL THE WORDS OF THE REBBE!!!
What would the rebbe say to people having disregard to the seforim that where thrown on the floor!!!!
I shudder to think, it’s frightening what the Rebbe is feeling now
Only with the help of the police. Things should not be that way.
you would think that its carring gold or diamond’s but no CEMENT
So this just prolongs the problems. The same bochurim will take over 770! A little cement wont change the fact that Sfatis control 770’and the entire building is in danger of collapsing. Never mind the Chillul Hashem this has caused thru out the world. Typical whitewashing the basic problem
Especially without investigating the tunnels. Who knows what went on there
Come on. Really?
Nothing happened besides for the tunnel being dug
These boys are wrong for the dangerous thing they did, and should be sent back home, but the real blame goes to those that were responsible for enlarging 770 but chose not to.,:
did they make sure to send in sniffing dogs before they poured cement to make sure there are no people hiding
Who would be hiding there? Tzfatim?
we have to have hard conversations. we created these bochurim, we have stood by as extremist ideology has grown. we have watched as our young drink the cool aid at farbrengens and we encourage it bec its something we ‘want to believe.’
just ayin’
It’s amazing and shameful that we all finally woke up when they broke walls in 770 as if this is the worst they have done, After all this is only bricks and walls What can be repaired fairly fast, they are for years embarrassing the Rabbi mocking the Rabbi making fun of him in the 770 daily, imagining the Rabbi came in came /giving out dollars pretending he’s in shul dancing around him, pushing and singing opening a pathway for the Rabbi to pass, people and youngsters from other communities come to watch this show of Madness the Rabbi has… Read more »
Very nice
The 770 is the Rebbes shul.
How is including the Rebbe in our day to day life mocking his name?
The Rebbe used to have a little path to go in and out of 770, what’s wrong by giving him this respect up until today and try to feel his presence as much as possible?
These are the people that keep a connection with the Rebbe and don’t forget that he is with us all the time.
Now stop judging everyone’s way to connect to the Rebbe.
We feel the Rebbe’s presence by learning and teaching his torah and doing his mivtzoim, not by making reenactments of 5751!
You will not find a single source or example in the Rebbe’s teachings to provide a basis for this behavior.
Will the arrested Bochurim be deported?
When will the Yeshiva Administration be replaced?
When will the election for new Gabboyim be held?
BH
Instead of pouring in cement, can the excavated area be properly and safely enlarged to form a useful room? If so, then the bochurim can use their new room and the women can use Kingston.
Basically telling these kids that they are justified to do what they want with someone else’s property?! Never mind the danger they put everyone into.
They need to be taught a lesson in how humans are supposed to behave.
What happened Monday night was OUTRAGES I think most people agree with this. But what most people don’t even know about… is the much needed expansion 770 needs! It would be enough to use our sechel to come to this conclusion (lubavitch is HUGE – how are people meant to fit in there!?) But besides for that (for those who don’t have sechel:)) the Rebbe wanted it! The Rebbe literally put out a kuntres about it (again, something most people here don’t know about, sadly) So instead of filing it up with cement – use out the opportunity, and time… Read more »
you are 100% off the mark!
Don’t mix the Rebbe into this….Expand ? sure do it the right and legal way! Digging tunnels and removing earth and support, risking lives is NOT the right way in doing it! Then when you get caught you go breaking walls and then having police come in and the building condemned is idiotic and stupid and huge Chilul hashem and huge Chilul Lubavitch! A bisel sechel….
Play stupid games win stupid prizes
I’m an old timer who can still hear the Rebbes pained voice complaining about they aren’t extending the shul all the way to union street but his words fell on deaf ears.
These irresponsible, chutspahdik boys must be dealt with, but the real blame goes to the local people in charge who did/do nothing (but fight)
Bochrim should be learning -/ even though it says Boinim! After Ain Ke. Lokainu!
Otherwise Aguch should please be positively persuaded to start a 770 enlargement campaign immediately. We are being menadar the first $1010.
Please persaude Aguch in a positive manner by requesting an enlargement of 770.
Dear Aguch please be persuaded in a positive manner to enlarge 770.
Start a campaign immediately specifically and only for this purpose among the other critical great thing thatChabad is doing.SHOLOM AL YISROEL
Transform this incident into a positive direction. Please encourage AGUCH TO EXPAND 770 as soon as possible. There is money for everything. There is money to expand 770.Let’s resolve this confusion into a KIDUSH HASHEM.
their intention was maybe to do the right thing (to expand 770 not to destroy) but it definitely want’s done the right way!!. the right way is when everybody is on board and agrees carrie out the same goal, whatever the case, whats hard to watch is seeing how lubavitchers hates other lubavitchers, and pointing fingers at each other, but you’re forgeting something important “eisav soneh es yaakov”, it doesnt matter what side youre on, the media doesn’t really care, as long there is a good and juicy story to bad mouth yidden and speciali frum yidden they would report… Read more »
Just expand the shul. Simple. Get architects and build a shul three times the size. With money it’s possible. Every other group has done it. Skver,Bobov,satmar and many more. It’s just money.
770 is the boiler room for a reason. You want Skver and Bobov go have fun in the fancy hats and buildings.
Per the article 770 to try to reopen by shabbos? Did I read correctly, in a few days or so 770 should be reopened for daily shacharis minyanim???
Very sad to see this, unfortunately there is so much news of tunnels in Isreal by vicious villains, is this who they learned from, the parents should be ashamed of their children, they need to take them home deport them.
No different than Neteuri Karta.
The buchrim meant well , we need to love them, it went out of hand at the end, but hey let’s expand 770!!!!!!!!!!
Now , yes 770 needs more room