Duggar World Tour

[Kitten]

This reminds me so much of the "Did Matt Roloff have a heart attack?" episode on LPBW, when TLC tried to edit the show to create a cliffhanger. Unfortunately, because the episodes are filmed so far in advance, it ended up backfiring, because by the time the show aired, it was pretty obvious to any intelligent person that Matt was fine, since he was overseas on their TLC-paid extravagant European vacation.

TLC apparently does not learn very well from experience (were they all homeskooled at the SOTDRT?). Well, since I stopped watching them a long time ago, it doesn't affect me, but it's amusing to watch them repeat their shenanigans.

I suspect this "season" or next (depedning on how much they've filmed) will be the Duggars' last regular set of shows, unless Mich pulls off another conception event.

[GeoBQn]

Duggar Family Blog posted the video of Josie walking. I submitted a comment with a link to the news page from the Israeli hospital, saying that a foreign doctor flying home with a patient didn't sound very minor to me. No surprise, they have not approved my comment. They just posted their own response:

Hi Anonymous!

If Josie's illness had been critical, Jim Bob and the kids would have stayed in Israel to support Michelle, Jill, and Josie.

What a blessing to have a doctor available to accompany them home, for piece of mind. As Dr. Arrington (director of the NICU at Arkansas Children's Hospital) says, "Never trust a preemie."

~Lily and Ellie

For "piece of mind?" I swear, these people are like used car salesmen. They can put a positive spin on anything.

[Guest Anonymous]

Duggar Family Blog posted the video of Josie walking. I submitted a comment with a link to the news page from the Israeli hospital, saying that a foreign doctor flying home with a patient didn't sound very minor to me. No surprise, they have not approved my comment. They just posted their own response:

For "piece of mind?" I swear, these people are like used car salesmen. They can put a positive spin on anything.

And they can't spell "peace of mind", either.

[FakePigtails]

I really want to tell her that it would reflect better on her if she'd consider commenting on Josie without tying it to the show. Alas, I'm afraid of it showing up in that new mini news feed thing. If anyone else is more ok with posting it, have at it.

[Lillybee]

I wonder if we will ever find out the truth about what happened to Josie in Israel. The non spin version.

[Jewess]

Hi, I'm a long time lurker, new poster.

My sister lives in Israel and her neighbors know Jim Bob and Michelle from online; they're friends.

 

Anyhow, so these neighbors (lets call them the Cohens) meet up with the Duggars and take them on a tour of the old city of Jerusalem.

While on the tour, Jim Bob mentioned to Mr Cohen that "Oh, by the way, before my mom became Christian, she was a Jew."

Ding ding ding. Anyone who knows about Judaism knows that Orthodox Judaism believes in matriarchal descent, that as long as your mother is Jewish, you're a Jew, no matter what you believe. Hence, Jim Bob is a Jew, even if he's a quiverful Christian missionizing his mixed up faith to the world.

 

Among Orthodox Jews, there's this idea that you want to try to get every Jewish male at least once in their life to put on tefillin.

 

So Mr Cohen appealed to Jim Bob's fundie side. "Hey, have you ever had the chance to fulfill the Biblical commandment of philacteries? (tefillin)"

Jim Bob's answer "Why no, I haven't!"

So Mr Cohen takes Jim Bob over to the kotel's Chabad Tefillin stand, and Jim Bob, a Jew, puts on tefillin for the first time in his life.

 

Lol, if Jim Bob knew that this was a type of "kiruv", Jewish outreach, he probably would have flipped out.

 

I found this anecdote highly amusing.

Wonder if its public knowledge, and if it is already, sorry for reposting what you already know.

[Lillybee]

Thank you for posting this. Welcome and hope you post more.

[Beeks]

Welcome and thank you for that story!

[Letgo]

Mary Duggar is Jewish? Doesn't that mean that JB probably has non-Christian aunts, uncles, and cousins? Do you suppose the family has tried to convert them? This is interesting; could it be true?

[Jewess]

Mary Duggar is Jewish? Doesn't that mean that JB probably has non-Christian aunts, uncles, and cousins? Do you suppose the family has tried to convert them? This is interesting; could it be true?

Who knows. It could be mom's whole family converted to christianity, so there wouldn't be people trying to convert them.

I totally believe the authenticity of this story as I know the people who this happened with (the Cohens).

You mean it actually isn't public knowledge that Jim Bob's mom was Jewish?

[GeoBQn]

There was a radio interview JimBob did after their 2nd DC trip where JimBob claimed that his family had "Jewish roots," and I was dying to hear THAT explanation. I had assumed that he meant his roots were Jewish in the sense of Christianity having Jewish roots. Anybody know what his mother's maiden name is?

[Letgo]

I just tried to find Mary's maiden name and was unsuccessful. Anyone live in Arkansas and know the family? I would love to know and be able to google her family.

[Jewess]

There was a radio interview JimBob did after their 2nd DC trip where JimBob claimed that his family had "Jewish roots," and I was dying to hear THAT explanation. I had assumed that he meant his roots were Jewish in the sense of Christianity having Jewish roots. Anybody know what his mother's maiden name is?

Nice to hear some confirmation from the FreeJingers about part of this story, that isn't the first time Jim Bob and Jewish came up in the same conversation.

[readergirl]

This is sure interesting! I wonder at what age Mary converted to Christianity? Before or after the King of Aqua Net was born?

[Alecto]

Mary Duggar is Jewish? Doesn't that mean that JB probably has non-Christian aunts, uncles, and cousins? Do you suppose the family has tried to convert them? This is interesting; could it be true?

My whole family converted from Judaism to Southern Baptist about 3 generations ago, so this is an entirely plausible situation.

[GeoBQn]

Found it--JimBob's mother's maiden name is Lester. Thanks, Ancestry.com!

[Letgo]

Yay! Thank you! Just started searching and did find that Lester is a name in England often associated with Sephardic Jewish families. Need to keep looking to see if that is true. But, it does seem that many of us have changed names as our famiies migrated to other countries through the years. I am fairly certain that my father's family was Jewish at one time. Maybe I am related to JB!

[Hane]

Welcome, Jewess, and thank you so much for this wonderful treat!

[Jewess]

Thank you!

JOOC which part was the biggest "treat"- knowing his mom was Jewish, or hearing how some Ortho Jew sneakily got Jim Bob to do the mitzva of tefillin?

[Hane]

Thank you!

JOOC which part was the biggest "treat"- knowing his mom was Jewish, or hearing how some Ortho Jew sneakily got Jim Bob to do the mitzva of tefillin?

Both! I live for the day when everyone embraces his/her FULL heritage!

[Buzzard]

That. IS. AWESOME!!!

I'm guessing its not his mother but possibly another female in the fam. No Jew would name their kid "mary!"

[Beeks]

That. IS. AWESOME!!!

I'm guessing its not his mother but possibly another female in the fam. No Jew would name their kid "mary!"

Maybe she was born a miriam?

[GeoBQn]

I've found Jewish women in my family tree named Mary, but my guess is that as the children of immigrants, their parents were just giving them common names to make fitting into society easier.

JimBob claiming Jewish ancestry leaves a bad taste in my mouth because it seems to be "en vogue" among fundie leaders. Dougie's ancestry is well documented, but there's also Ray Comfort beginning his abortion video by saying "I'm Jewish." It comes off to me like a privileged white guy bragging that he's 1/64 Choctaw. JimBob doesn't have a genuine interest in finding out his roots--he's just doing to to distinguish himself as somehow being a more genuine Christian. If he had his way, Jews would be giving up the religion/culture that made them who they are in the first place.

[duplessis3]

This story though doesn't come off as Jim Bob publicly bragging - it was a private conversation that we got to hear. He doesn't go around saying My mom is Jewish! on the show or anything.

[Stanley]

Maybe this explains why the Duggars don't eat pork.