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As I am sure many of you know, there is a historical practice of spitting during Aleinu. A discussion of the origin of the practice can be found here.
I have davened at Conservative and Modern Orthodox shuls, but have never seen anyone spitting (not even a fake little ptoo-ptoo). Are there some communities in America where this minhag is still common? What about in Israel? Do they use a spittoon (like a little cup kept in their shtender) or spit right onto the floor?
I have seen this among Lubavitchers to this day. Specifically (since you ask about synagogues), I have seen it in the large basement Lubavitch synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York, as well as in some others in the States; I assume it's done in Israel also, but don't recall well enough, one way or the other, to attest to it. In my experience, generally, the spitter covers his mouth (I assume so others don't have to see) and spits directly downward on the floor, afterward rubbing the saliva into the floor with his shoe.
