Are You in a Litvish or a Chasidish Shul? A Checklist ביסטו אין א ליטווישע אדער א חסידישע שול? א טשעקליסט

Sometimes it happens: you walk into an unfamiliar shul — for a simcha, on a trip, or because you overslept and this is the last minyan in town — and you're not exactly sure where you are. For situations like these, we've put together a simple checklist.

The Times

• The door says "Shacharis 9:00," and it starts at 9:00 — Litvish.
• The door says "Shacharis 9:00," and it starts when "there are already ten" — Chasidish.
• The door just says "Shacharis," no time at all, and everyone knows exactly when — a shtiebel.

The Dress

• A long shelf of black hats, each with a name written inside — Litvish.
• A shelf of shtreimlach, and nobody mixes them up, because every shtreimel has its own personality — Chasidish.
• A gartel on everyone, including the little boys — Chasidish.
• Bochurim in white shirts with a shtender full of Gemaras and a scrap of paper full of kashyos — Litvish.

The Niggun

• The baal tefillah davens clearly, word by word, and everyone can keep up — Litvish.
• A two-minute niggun on "Kel Adon," with the crowd banging along on the shtender — Chasidish.
• You hear "Shhh!" from the gabbai every five minutes — both. The gabbai is a world institution.

The Kiddush

• Herring, crackers, a l'chaim, and home — Litvish.
• Herring, crackers, kugel, cholent, a l'chaim, another l'chaim, a niggun, and home an hour later — Chasidish.
• At the kiddush they discuss a difficult Rambam — Litvish. At the kiddush they discuss last night's tish — Chasidish.

The Result

If you checked boxes equally on both sides — mazel tov! You're probably in Lakewood at a Chasidish shalom zachor, or in Williamsburg at a Litvish bar mitzvah.

But one thing is the same in every shul in the world: when Yidden say "Amen, yehei shmei rabba" with their whole heart, it is heard in Heaven in the same language.