Featured Board Member: Kelly Ruby

Thank you for serving on Bet Shalom’s Board of Trustees, Kelly! Let's help the congregation get to know you better with this interview. Please tell us about your family, your history in Minnesota, and when you joined Bet Shalom. 

I met my (now) husband Matt during our first day of Purdue University freshman orientation. When he graduated four years later, he moved to Minnesota for a job and to be near his extended family. I joined him two years later when I graduated pharmacy school and we got married. When I moved I said we would only stay for the two years of my residency program at the U of MN, and we’ve never left!

We have three fun kids - Asher, Abe and Estie. Asher is in 11th grade, Abe is in 8th grade and Estie is in 3rd grade. We started the summer off with Asher’s confirmation, and a week later Abe became a bar mitzvah!

We coasted off Matt’s grandparents' Bet Shalom membership for many years and then finally joined when it was time for Asher to start religious school. Now all three kids attend HaMakom and both of my boys are madrahim. 

And your professional life?

I’m a clinical pharmacist at a clinic in North Minneapolis called NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center. I celebrated my 20th work anniversary there this fall. It’s an amazing place - with a medical clinic, dental clinic, eye clinic, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, human services, interpreters and a food shelf. I help patients with their medications, and a lot of my time is spent helping patients manage their diabetes, high blood pressure and blood thinners. Everyday I walk into work knowing I’ll get to help someone and that I will learn something new!

Tell us about your previous involvement at Bet Shalom. 

I’ve been involved in the Youth Engagement Committee for the past seven years. I also make kugels with the Kugel Kindness crew. 

And now you’re on the Bet Shalom Board of Trustees. What has your experience been like?

I just joined the Board this summer, so I still have a lot to learn. I knew several of the other Board Members before joining, and I’m excited to get to work with them. I’m enjoying getting to know the other Board members and learning more about how Bet Shalom operates. I’m most excited about the process of engaging members who want to be more involved with the synagogue. 

What do you do in your spare time?

I’m in the phase of life where my kids’ activities fill most of my spare time, which means I’m at ultimate frisbee games, fencing tournaments, music concerts or driving someone somewhere and asking if their homework is done. I love to bake, play games and get out for walks. I’m in a book club of Jewish moms; we try to read two books a month. 

Favorite Jewish Holiday and foods?

I truly love the High Holy Days. I appreciate taking time to reflect on my actions over the past year, seek forgiveness and contemplate my intentions for the coming year. 

My husband is known in the family for his matzah ball soup, so I have to count that in my favorites. Plus I have fond memories of his grandmother, Barbara Leder, giving us cooking lessons and sharing her secret ingredient.  I also love charoset. I don’t have a favorite recipe for this one - it’s so fun how much charoset recipes can differ, but I’ve never tasted one I didn’t like!