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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