The Duggar Family Was Reportedly Originally Jewish, Say Some Fans Of The Family

The Duggar family is known for two things: having 19 biological children and being incredibly religious and dutiful in their Christian faith. However, it has been reported on several occasions by fans of the family that Jim Bob Duggar’s mother was raised Jewish. By all branches of the Jewish faith, this would make Jim Bob Jewish. His 19 children, however, would only be considered Jewish as well by the more liberal sects of Judaism.

Many fans have noticed that the Duggar children, especially the girls, often wear Star of David, or Magen David, necklaces. These are the universal symbols of Judaism. Some believe this is because many fundamentalist Christians are obsessed with Israel, as they believe all Jews must return there in order for Christ to return. However, there may be a deeper meaning to it.

On the blog Keeping Up with Fundies, a fan recently pointed out that Jill Duggar Dillard was spotted with a Magen David necklace when she and her husband, Derick Dillard, started courting. Other Reddit users have noticed the family often sporting Jewish iconography, which some have found puzzling. Jill Duggar Dillard even named her eldest son Israel, a name that is not all that common outside of Jewish circles.

While some have correctly noted that many fundamentalist Christians are fond of Israel and the Jewish people for their own reasons, there have been rumors floating around for quite a while that Jim Bob’s mother, Mary Duggar, was actually raised Jewish. This is not a new rumor; however, it seems to often be buried. As the Duggar family typically do not respond to rumors, no one has stated whether or not this one is true.

However, there is a rumor that when going on one of the family’s trips to Israel (they have been several times as a group, and in some cases, as couples), Jim Bob Duggar told a Jewish friend that his mother was raised Jewish. Because he is considered Jewish, he was invited to fulfill the Jewish commandment of wearing the tefillin. This is when observant Jewish people (mostly men), wrap leather straps with small cubes on them around their hands and heads. Inside the cubes are Biblical verses, which command a religious Jew to wear on his hands on in between in his eyes. Allegedly, Jim Bob was invited to do so by an organization in Israel that encourages secular Jews to become more Jewish. Because none of his other sons are considered Jewish in Orthodox circles, they were not invited to also fulfill the commandment.