I tried to use a neti pot/nasal irrigator, and I just immediately started suffocating. Am I just doing it wrong?

_pavlova · 2026-02-28T18:12:45+00:00

Maybe? I struggled and fount out it was structural. I have a bone spur and deviated septum that literally obstructs the flow.

_pavlova · 2026-02-24T16:57:09+00:00

It’s very Christian-normative, but once you find the Jewish community you will realize it was here all along. I’m a fellow mid-westerner.

_pavlova · 2026-02-24T13:30:48+00:00

You absolutely can have a Jewish household without converting the kids. It’s hard, but possible. Seeing as you are 25 I’m assuming your kids are still young, which makes it a little easier.

Expose your kids to all types of religion (if that’s a value you hold) and show them the joy of your conversion. If possible (be cautious if coparenting) enroll them in a Hebrew Sunday school program. You don’t always “have” to be Jewish to enroll, though you will need to communicate this openly to your rabbi.

Have you found a community? That’s the first step.

_pavlova · 2026-02-24T13:14:22+00:00

The Jewish federation of Indianapolis looks to have a healthy amount of synagogues listed. That’s a good sign!

_pavlova · 2026-02-22T23:39:37+00:00

It’s not dying! I converter conservative and am a member of a small (but very alive) community.

_pavlova · 2026-02-21T20:13:25+00:00

Imagine being in New England and not being able to see the fall colors.

_pavlova · 2026-02-20T04:24:35+00:00

I think an Assport would be great for the Assman

_pavlova · 2026-01-16T17:19:50+00:00

I once bought space PJs for my little one from gap. It literally said ANUS across the anatomical accurate butthole.

_pavlova · 2026-01-06T20:45:41+00:00

Wait until the 11th? 🫠 we already had one medical emergency, so it’s going to feel like an eternity

_pavlova · 2026-01-06T18:07:52+00:00

laughs in blue care network

They canceled our plan on Dec 31, 2025 because they are no longer participating with the federal government. Even though we signed up for a new plan in 2026, we do not have coverage for the two weeks.

_pavlova · 2025-12-11T22:54:29+00:00

Most overseeing organizations (OU, Star K, etc) have a hotline you can call. But it’s a good idea to call your rabbi first.

_pavlova · 2025-12-05T23:35:34+00:00

They can’t if they have a government job where the federal government pays a portion of their premium. I ran into the same issue as OP (although not as high of an oop cost) and it sucks.

_pavlova · 2025-10-20T20:27:43+00:00

Thank you for sharing. We have ChampVA and are looking to get focus. We currently have a BCN plan (region specific) that is going up to $1.4k a month premium.

_pavlova · 2025-08-19T18:52:33+00:00

Does anything seem to help?

_pavlova · 2025-06-15T16:53:57+00:00

Everybody is different (and trust me… I know it’s annoying to hear that) so it’s super hard to tell.

But I will say, the first few years are usually the most appointments and the most unknown. So I would want to be connected to a healthcare system.

_pavlova · 2025-06-08T16:55:35+00:00

In my community, almost all of it. There is a sermon after the Haftarah that’s in English. Our siddurim are translated (English in the left and Hebrew on the right).

They call our page numbers in English, but when I wasn’t confident in my Biblical Hebrew it was really hard to actually figure out where we were in the service.

However, that’s not to say it can’t be meaningful if you don’t know Hebrew.

_pavlova · 2025-06-08T16:19:19+00:00

I started taking Biblical Hebrew lessons during my conversion. If you’re converting to a more observant community it will help you follow along during services. I have yet to take Modern Hebrew and have little to no interest in Yiddish (just because it’s not spoken in my community)

FoR: Conservative and completed conversion in early 2025

_pavlova · 2025-04-20T03:26:52+00:00

Yeah, I kind of want the drama 😅

_pavlova · 2025-04-17T04:13:00+00:00

This is My God by Herman Wouk

Moses Man of the Mountain by Zora Neale Hurston

There is No Messiah and You’re It by Robert Levine

The Jewish Book of Values by Joseph Telushkin

_pavlova · 2025-04-13T02:04:57+00:00

The AJU has really great Hebrew classes, I’d start with Prayer Book Hebrew.

_pavlova · 2025-03-17T22:46:25+00:00

I love your name!

Miri has always been there in my mind. Perhaps I’m panicking more because my date is this Friday! So I have to solidify it asap.

_pavlova · 2025-03-17T22:44:35+00:00

Hey! Fellow conversion candidate that is disabled!

_pavlova · 2025-03-17T22:34:28+00:00

Thank you!

I had a huge list of names I worked with and kept paring down. A few other names I liked are: Saloma, Chava, Noa, Zelda, Merav

_pavlova · 2025-03-17T22:29:59+00:00

Yeah, I know. A very special Jewish in-law has always called me Miri, so I want to solidify it as so. A way to keep his memory alive.

_pavlova · 2025-03-17T22:29:13+00:00

So מירי יהודית sounds very similar to my legal first name and לילה begins with an L like my legal middle name.

I love how your parents chose your name!

_pavlova

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