Charlotte E. Gendler was born Charlotte Engel in Cleveland, Ohio on March 29, 1938 to parents Max and Ruth Engel. She attended the Florence Stone Mather College, Western Reserve in Ohio studying languages. After marrying Alan Gendler, the couple moved to Chicago where Charlotte Gendler worked a number of jobs as she raised a family. After a move to Gary, Indiana for a few years, the growing family moved to North Buffalo and then Kenmore. Charlotte graduated in 1970 from Buffalo State College with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. She began working at the Niagara Frontier Vocational Rehabilitation Center, a sheltered workshop for people with special needs. She also joined several Jewish organizations, including synagogues, as well as the Shalom group of Hadassah, a Jewish women's organization. Later, she took a full-time position as controller at the Jewish Federation of Greater Buffalo, working closely with the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Family Service, Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies, Jewish Federation Housing, Camp Lakeland and the Jewish Federation Cemetery Corporation. In retirement, Charlotte Gendler has held numerous lay leadership positions including President of the Bureau of Jewish Education. She is active with the Jewish Federation board, Jewish Federation Housing, Temple Beth Tzedek and Kadimah among other organizations.

Temple Beth David was founded in the 1920s as a Conservative synagogue in Buffalo. Organized for the High Holidays of 1921, at Delta Temple Hall, located at East Utica and Fillmore Avenue, by 1923, fifty members were meeting at 652 Humboldt Parkway. By 1924, a Ladies' Auxiliary, a Young Women's Club and a Men's Club were organized and the congregation acquired land on the east side of Humboldt Parkway. The new building was dedicated on August 30, 1925, under the presidency of Joseph Sanes and the vice-presidency of Solomon Brown. Rabbi C. David Matt was elected in 1926 as the first permanent spiritual leader and installed on April 8-9, 1927 serving until 1929. Rabbi leaders changed frequently, and included Rabbi Judah Nadich, Rabbi Theodore Friedman, Rabbi Moses Lehrman and Rabbi Sidney B. Riback, among others. In 1955, Beth David merged with Congregation Ner Israel, and sold its building on Humboldt Parkway. It moved to Congregation Ner Israel's building at Starin Avenue and Taunton in the North Park area, under the merged name of Temple Beth David-Ner Israel.

Congregation Ner Israel had a history that began in 1925 when a group of Hungarian-born Jews formed a synagogue originally known as Ohev Zedek. Eventually the congregation bought a two family house at 141 Crestwood and in 1930 the congregation changed its name to Anshe Zedek. The synagogue bought a former Masonic Temple in 1931, which had originally been built as a Methodist Church at 85 Saranac Avenue. In 1943, the congregation changed its name to Ner Israel. In 1952, Ner Israel sold their building to Yeshivath Achei T'mimim Lubavitz and built a new synagogue at Starin and Taunton Avenues. Soon after it merged with Temple Beth David in 1955.

The Council of Conservative Synagogues was founded in the 1950s with representatives of the four Conservative Temples in the Buffalo area that included Temple Beth David-Ner Israel, Temple Beth El, Temple Emanu-el and Temple Sinai. The goal of the Council was to raise the profile of Conservative Jewry in Buffalo and enable the temples to have a greater impact in the Buffalo Jewish community. The Council of Conservative Synagogues inaugurated a Thanksgiving Day Service also knows as a Union Service that eventually included participation by Ahavas Achim and Temple Beth Am, both temples outside of the Conservative movement. The Council also started a joint Institute for Adult Jewish Studies as a combined adult education program, held Cantorial Concerts and established a code of proper practice for funerals.