Family background, St. Louis, MO and San Diego, CA, Depression years; marriage to Harold Dobbs, 1941, five children, assisting his political campaigns, Mel's Drive-Ins; federation's women's division president, 1972-1974; San Francisco-based Jewish Community Federation: campaign chairman, 1978, involvement with Israel, Project Renewal, Jewish education, challenges to Jewish Agency, "Who is a Jew" issue; president, 1988-1990: strategic planning, rescue of Ethiopian and Soviet Jews; national and local Jewish organizations: national vice president, United Jewish Appeal, board of trustees, United Israel Appeal, first woman board member, Concordia-Argonaut Club.