Ruth was the first female President of the JASA Board of Trustees (1983-86). Ruth has always been an active philanthropist holding numerous board positions including: The Board of Jewish Education of Greater New York, Director of UJA-Federation, The Jewish Women’s Foundation. As a participant in the work of UJA-Federation, she was Co-Chair of Institutional Trustees Committee, Task Force on Aging, Volunteer Leadership Development Committee, and Strategic Planning Level of Grants. Also, Chair of the Task Force on The Jewish Woman, The Women’s Public Policy Task Force. Through UJA-Federation, she formed Yab b”Yad, a support group for women leaders.
Ruth earned a BS, cum laude, in 1958 from CCNY – The Baruch School of Business and Public Administration and an MS from CCNY, The School of Education (1964). She is listed in “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities and as Editor-in-Chief of The Ticker, undergraduate day session newspaper of The Baruch School, won an All-American award. Permanently appointed to Sheepshead Bay HS, Brooklyn, and while on maternity leave, taught at Baruch College, NYS Community College and The Katherine Gibbs School.
Post college, she was awarded the UJA-Federation Hurowitz Leadership Award; JASA Humanitarian Award; NYC Council Presidents Award for Outstanding Leadership, Woman’s History Month, May 1989.
With her sister-in-law, founded Perelson Personnel, Inc., employee recruitment and placement for non-profit organizations. She retired during the recession of ’83 and ultimately became the Director of Volunteers at Beth Abram Hospital, Bronx, NY. During this time, she conducted workshops at Central Synagogue, NYC. The book she authored, “An Invitation to Shabbat, A Beginners Guide to Weekly Celebration,” (URJ Press) is still available on Amazon.
Ruth lives in New York City. She is blessed with a spectacular family: her college sweetheart husband Sam Perelson (z"l), two daughters, two sons-in-law and five grandchildren.
They recently dedicated the Ruth and Sam Perelson Suite to the Hillel chapter at Baruch College.
“Celebrating my 40th year of JASA Trusteeship, I am the self-appointed Matriarch (and historian). Providing aid to the ailing and programs for the wellness participants ages 55 to 100+ has made a profound impact on my life. I “give back” honoring my grandparents, Morris and Rebecca Cohen, z”l, who emigrated to NYC in the late 1880, early 1900s.”