The John A. Widtsoe Foundation is deeply committed to elevating dialogue between members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other religious communities. This year's Church-wide study of the Old Testament presents a unique opportunity for members to better understand and learn from our Jewish neighbors, who have engaged with these scriptures for thousands of years. Each month, a Widtsoe Foundation Board Member will host a live online conversation and Q&A with a leader or scholar from the Jewish community about an upcoming topic from the Church's Come, Follow Me curriculum. This series will serve to educate Latter-day Saints about the rich history of Jewish scriptural interpretation and application, while at the same time modeling meaningful interfaith conversations and empowering Latter-day Saints to do the same in their own communities. These events will be made available on The Widtsoe Foundation YouTube Channel and podcast soon after the live event.
For this live event, Widtsoe Foundation Board Member Laura Redford discussed the story of Ruth from a Jewish perspective with Dr. Ora Horn Prouser.
Ora Horn Prouser is Executive Vice President and Academic Dean at The Academy for Jewish Religion, a pluralistic rabbinical and cantorial school. After studying Bible, ancient Near Eastern Studies, and Education in college and graduate school, including receiving her PhD in Bible, she has been teaching Bible on the graduate school level for twenty five years. Her first book, Esau's Blessing: How the Bible Embraces Those with Special Needs brings together her love of Bible, and her ability to relate the biblical text to contemporary issues in our society. She lives in New York with her husband, and is the mother of three children.