No, Chabad Lubavitch HQ isn't 'less than a mile' away from Jeffrey Epstein's former home

By: Soham Shah
January 18 2024

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A screenshot of the TikTok video claiming a connection between the recently discovered tunnels and Jeffrey Epstein’s house. (Source: TikTok/Modified by Logically Facts)

What is the claim?

Recent posts shared on social media platforms TikTok, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter) suggest a connection between the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters in New York, beneath which a tunnel was discovered recently, and Jeffrey Epstein’s former residence. 

These posts claim that the two locations are less than a mile apart, implying a link between them. The video also claims that blood stains were discovered "on child mattresses and baby chairs" inside the tunnels. Archived links to these posts can be accessed here, here, and here.

Screenshot of the viral post on TikTok. (Source: TikTok)

However, our investigation reveals that the two buildings are over 11 kilometers apart, and there are no reports of blood-stained child mattresses or chairs being found in the tunnel.

What is the truth?

The Chabad Lubavitch movement, a Hasidic Jewish group, was established 250 years ago. Its name originates from Lubavitch, a town in Russia where the movement was headquartered for over a century.

The Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters, the subject of the social media posts, is an internationally recognized Hasidic Jewish center and synagogue situated at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighborhood. In contrast, Jeffrey Epstein’s former New York residence is at 9 East 71st Street in Manhattan.

Contrary to the social media claims, New York City Department of Buildings Deputy Press Secretary Ryan Degan said that they had found a single linear 60-foot-long (18.3 meters) underground tunnel, illegally excavated directly underneath a single-story rear extension behind 784 & 786 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, next door to the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters. Epstein's former home is approximately 11.57 kilometers (7.1 miles) away from the headquarters in a straight line, according to Google Maps. The road distance between the two locations is about 12 miles (19.31 km).

The distance between the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters and Epstein’s former residence. (Source: Google Maps)

A Google Maps screenshot used in the video inaccurately represents the distance between the Chabad of the Upper East Side and Epstein’s former home, not the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters. While the Upper East Side building is about 1 mile from Epstein’s former home, the tunnel was discovered under the World Headquarters building. The Chabad of the Upper East Side is described on its website as a part of the Chabad Lubavitch worldwide organization.

The route connecting Epstein’s former residence and Chabad of the Upper East Side. (Source: Google Maps) 

The video's claim about "blood stains on child mattresses and baby chairs" in the tunnels is unsubstantiated. Degan told Logically Facts that "the excavation area was empty, aside from hand tools like shovels and debris, when our investigators arrived on the scene" and added that they had found no mattresses or baby carriages.

Yosi Friedman, a spokesperson for Chabad Lubavitch HQ, called the claims about mattresses and booster seats 'false' in a statement to Logically Facts.

According to a Rolling Stone report, the tunnel was excavated by supporters of a splinter group within the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters. The Associated Press reported that the tunnel compromised several nearby structures, leading to the arrest of nine individuals for obstructing Chabad officials from sealing the tunnels.

We also found no credible news reports linking the tunnel to Epstein.

The verdict

We have marked this claim as false as the Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters and the tunnel beneath it are at least seven miles away from Jeffrey Epstein's former residence. Additionally, multiple sources have refuted the presence of bloody child mattresses and chairs inside the tunnel.

(Update: This fact-check has been updated with responses from the New York City Department of Buildings and Chabad Lubavitch HQ.)