10 | SEPTEMBER 19 • 2024

The Liss family : Arthur, Beverly, Ilana Liss, Zachary Liss, Lindsey
Liss and Jeremy Liss. In front are Lily, Ruby and Eden Liss.

The Liss grandchildren: Micah, Jesse, Max, Levi, Lily, Tate,
Georgia, Eden and Ruby with Arthur and Beverly.

continued on page 12

OUR COMMUNITY
COVER STORY

Past winners have included Max
Fisher, The Hon. Avern Cohn,
Dulcie Rosenfeld, Jane Sherman,
Penny Blumenstein and David
Hermelin.
Liss says she was inspired by
a grandmother who lived with
her family while she was growing
up in Corpus Christi. “She was a
philanthropist for Jewish causes,”
Liss said. “I watched as people came
to solicit her, and I’d see her pull
out her checkbook every time. She
showed me how to be an active
Jewish woman.”

GETTING STARTED
Liss’ first foray into Jewish service
started with a program for toddlers
at the former Jewish Community
Center in Oak Park. There she
met someone from the Federation
department then called the Junior
Division — which was later known
as the Young Adult Division and is
now called NEXTGen Detroit. “I
went to a telethon and I ‘drank the
water,’” she said. “It was a domino
effect; one activity led to another.
When I saw something I wanted to
be involved with, I would make a
connection.”
Her community engagement
served a dual purpose. She gained a
network of friends, and “the deeper
in I got, the more inspired I got,”
she said
Over the years, she has served on
dozens of Federation committees,
where she became known for
bringing homemade mandelbread
to meetings. These include the
JFNA Young Leadership Cabinet,
the Lion of Judah Committee, the
Shalom Detroit Committee, the
Community Collaborations Task
Force, the Security Committee and
the Finance Committee.
She chaired Federation’s Israel
and Overseas department for three
years and was on the leadership
team of several missions to Israel;
she says she has visited Israel 25
times, though not since Oct. 7 last
year.

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