Ken and Barbara Larson have been married for 52 years, with the past few in a unique ministry gifting scrolls to Christian institutions like North Park. Around their 50th anniversary, the Larsons traveled to Israel with 35 family members, including children and grandchildren. When they returned, they visited a seminary where Ken Larson asked the Hebrew professors if they’d ever read from a Torah. They all said that they’d never had the opportunity.
This was a turning point for the Larsons. They bought a collection of scrolls and, since March of 2014, have given 32 to institutions around the world.
North Park is the 32nd recipient of a Torah, which is the first five books of the Bible. The Larson-North Park Torah is thought to have originated in Poland in the late 18th or early 19th century. It has been decommissioned to permit its use for study and research.
Barbara Larson was happy to give the scroll to North Park because she’s a Chicagoan herself. “We feel right at home here.” The Larsons are most interested, though, in giving scrolls to institutions that have a respect for the word of God.
North Park—being Chicago-centered and rooted in faith—was a perfect match.
The Larsons have another special connection to North Park: “We love the Covenant Church.” Ken attended Minnehaha Academy, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Covenant Church. The Larsons’ five children went to Minnehaha and their grandchildren currently attend. One grandson attended North Park. “So, we feel a deep connection,” said Barbara.
The Office of Advancement and the Seminary expressed gratitude for the gift by hosting an inspiring dedication ceremony. This featured a traditional Jewish Torah Service, including readings and cantillations led by Dr. Rajkumar Boaz Johnson, professor of biblical and theological studies at North Park, and Skokie-based Rabbi Jeffrey Weill.
Seminary Dean Rev. Dr. David Kersten remarked that North Park has a heritage of gathering around the text. Receiving the scroll, he emphasized, is a reminder of North Park’s “ongoing call to read the sacred text and to repair our own lives and to repair the world through the reading of the text.” President David L. Parkyn expressed gratitude to the Larsons, saying that the gift marks for the school a new level of commitment to the scriptures.
The scroll will be housed in Nyvall Hall, kept within its handcrafted ark. It will be on exhibit and accessible for learning.