Once Britain’s Genius Child, Now a Torah-Observant Professor in Jerusalem

Thirty-four years ago, there wasn’t a household in Britain that hadn’t heard the name Ruth Lawrence. She was widely known as the child prodigy who might just become the next Albert Einstein. At only 10 years old, Ruth was already accepted as a full-time student at the prestigious Oxford University.

And she didn’t just attend, she soared. In just two years, she completed all academic requirements, graduated with honors, and received her degree. By the time she was 18, Ruth had already completed her doctorate in mathematics.

So why is her name back in the headlines now?

Ruth’s story recently reappeared in the British Daily Mail following the release of a new TV program called Britain’s Smartest Child. The article revisited some of the greatest minds in British history and once again, Ruth Lawrence’s name was right there, even listed among the “10 Smartest People in the World,” alongside the legendary physicist Stephen Hawking and other intellectual leaders.

But what makes her story especially meaningful today is not just her brilliance. It’s the life she chose afterward.

Today, Ruth Lawrence is 44 years old. She lives in Jerusalem, where she lives an Orthodox Jewish life and teaches mathematics at the Hebrew University. In the heart of the Holy Land, this former British prodigy has found a different kind of purpose, one rooted in Torah, family, and faith.

While the world once saw her as a future scientific superstar, Ruth found something even deeper than success, she found meaning, spirituality, and a life guided by Jewish values.