Ruth and Irvin Balis were long-time, active members of Oheb Sholom. They both served on the board at different times, and helped the congregation in numerous other ways, including holding officer positions in the Sisterhood and for the Torah Endowment Fund, and serving on many committees. The volunteer service of both Balises was long-standing and significant in its impact on Oheb Sholom.
The Board of Trustees of Oheb Sholom established the Ruth and Irvin Balis Volunteer Appreciation Award, to be given each spring, honoring a congregation member who has provided consistent and important volunteer service to our community. The recipient will be decided each year by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees.
Past Ruth and Irvin Balis Volunteer Award recipients include:
| 2012 | Mark Nemirow |
| 2013 | Barbara Rosenzweig |
| 2014 | Jeraldine D. Kozloff |
| 2015 | Eve & Mike Pardo |
| 2016 | Jack & Jeff Gernsheimer |
| 2017 | Jeffrey & Lynn Driben |
| 2018 | Adrienne Cardinal |
| 2022 | Mimi Gavigan |
| 2023 | Annette Peppard |
| 2024 | Steven Levine |
Selection Criteria: All nominees for the award must be members for at least five years. Only current members shall be eligible for nomination. Nominees may be any member, post Bar/Bat/Brit Mitzvah age. Nominees should be members who have demonstrated volunteerism during the life of their membership. In particular, the award is intended to recognize service which might have previously gone unrecognized. Service deserving of recognition includes membership on and leadership of standing and ad-hoc committees, organization of special events, volunteer work on intermittent projects and events, and completion of individual tasks unrelated to a particular committee. No member is eligible for the Balis Award more than once in ten years.