Ruthanne Kaufman  has been actively involved in the synagogue since 2006, when her parents died just three weeks apart. She initially attended minyan twice a day so she could say Mourner’s Kaddish and attended Shabbat services as often as work permitted.  Her family had been active members of the Chizuk Amuno Congregation since the mid 1970s. Several months into the year of mourning, she attended the Brotherhood’s World Wide Wrap. There was a film shown at breakfast and several women were interviewed about their experience with tefillin.  She was inspired to lay on tefillin. Many of the women in the congregation also wore a kippah and tallit, and she followed suit. She was encouraged by Rabbi Dr. Moshe Shualy, the Ritual Director, to learn to lead services and to read Torah. When she retired in 2010, Ruthanne became even more active in the synagogue.  Since that time, she regularly runs the daily minyan services and reads Torah at minyan. She also reads Torah regularly on Shabbat and holidays, and has now read over one half of the Torah. She previously was an active member of the Ritual Committee. Additionally she is an active member of the Sisterhood and for many years have helped organize Sisterhood Shabbat.  She was president of Club Hatikvah, the seniors’ group. 

 

Ruthanne is honored for being named the 2024 recipient of the Chizuk Amuno Men's Club Blue Yarmulke Person of Year. She is additionally grateful for being able to follow in her father's footsteps, who was also a Blue Yarmulke honoree. He regularly attended daily minyan and Shabbat services.  He was also active in Brotherhood, Club Hatikvah, and helped run the Mitzvah Corp which provided people to run shiva minyans.