Ron and Frances Liss

By Elizabeth Johnson Some institutions shape a life so completely that the line between person and community begins to blur.

For Ron and Frances Liss, that place has long been Charlotte and Temple Beth El, where decades

of involvement, leadership, and shared experience defined not only how they lived but who they became.

Their connection was not formed in a single moment but over years of showing up, participating, and building a life within

the fabric of Jewish Charlotte.

In 2013, that lifelong connection took on a different form. Through a legacy commitment to the Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community( FCJC), the Lisses made a decision not simply to give, but to ensure that the institutions and traditions that shaped their lives would continue to shape others.

Today, they are among 436 individuals and families who have created more than 1,021 legacy commitments, each one a quiet affirmation that the future of Jewish Charlotte is worth planning for. The following story was written By Ron Liss in 2016

I grew up in Philadelphia as a child of the Depression. The stock market crashed the year after I was born. We didn’ t have anything, but I didn’ t know any better because neither did anyone else. My dad was raised Orthodox, and although I knew we were Jewish, it didn’ t play a significant part in my life.

In 1941, when I was 17, we moved to Charlotte and joined Temple Beth El. We weren’ t among the original members but were certainly part of the second wave. As a result, I’ ve known every rabbi who has served the congregation.

It wasn’ t until my engagement with Hillel at UNC Chapel Hill that I truly connected to my Jewish roots and found something I had been looking for my entire life.

Frances was raised in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Her family belonged to Temple Beth El, the Conservative congregation there. Her father, who played a major role in her life, was also raised Orthodox. While Frances never received a formal religious education, she was confirmed by a circuit rabbi who served the congregation.

There were not many Jewish families in town, and the congregation closed soon after she left for college. Her parents later joined Temple Israel, while she became a member of Temple Beth El in Charlotte.

Temple Beth El brought us together. We came to know one another through our shared involvement in the synagogue and our commitment to Jewish life. I served as president of the congregation in 1971 and led the brotherhood and couples club. Frances worked in the religious school for more than 50 years, teaching multiple generations of Beth El families. Her commitment to educating children has been extraordinary.

We were married in 1998, followed by a religious ceremony the next year. We have attended Friday night services regularly since 1992 and have served on more committees than we can count.

It was easy for us to create a legacy gift. Between us, we have 48 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, and Jewish tradition and education remain central to our lives. Temple Beth El has given us so much. Being Jewish is who we are. Ensuring that legacy through our philanthropy is deeply important to us.

The Lisses’ story is one of many that now form the foundation of Jewish Charlotte’ s future, a reminder that the strongest communities are built not only in the present but with what comes next.

If you would like to explore how your family’ s values might shape your charitable legacy, please contact Phil Warshauer at pwarshauer @ charlottejewishfoundation. org.