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Rh Humane Society of Pittsburgh and Allegheny, and of ladies' auxiliary of the Allegheny General Hospital. Organizer and leader of reading circle, in existence nine years, for study of literature. Articles: "The Advantages of the Higher Education"; "A Trip up the Allegheny Valley"; "Benefits of the Sunday Concerts"; "A Tribute to Christopher Lyman Magee"; "Justice to the Jew"; "Reform in Confirmation"; "Woman's Place on Judaism," in local papers. Her address is 5837 Bartlett Street, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Was born at St. Croix, Danish West Indies. Her father was Jacob Osino De Castro and an active Confederate. When New Orleans fell he fled to Mobile, Alabama. Her mother was Hannah De Sola. Miss De Castro was educated in the public schools of New Orleans, Louisiana. Married Reverend Isaac P. Mendes, an Englishman. She labored shoulder to shoulder with her husband for twenty-seven years, working in the interest of the Jewish people in Savannah and gave them a standing second to none in the South. She has been president of the Savannah Section of the Council of Jewish Women since its organization in 1895, and is affiliated and does active work in the following organizations: First vice-president of the Ladies' Hebrew Benevolent Society; honorary president of the Savannah Branch of the Needle Work Guild; second vice-president of the Association for the Education of Georgia Mountaineers; treasurer of the committee on Health and Sanitation; a member of a committee of the Associated Charities; one of the Georgia Joint Committee of the Department of School Patrons of the National Educational Association and honorary president of the Temple Guild of "Mickve Israel" Congregation.

Mrs. Elkers was born in New York City in 1863. Parents were Israel and Sarah Kahn, both natives of Germany, and of the Hebrew race. They with their family moved to California in 1877. Mrs. Elkers was married in Oakland to Albert Elkers of Sacramento in 1882. They have two sons, both graduates of the University of California. At the beginning of the Spanish War, in April, 1898, Mrs. Elkers founded the Sacramento Red Cross branch. Was its president from 1898 to 1908. Sacramento raised about $12,000 in money, food and supplies for the Red Cross work during the few months of the war. The Galveston disaster also received the attention of this branch and it did much to help the refugees from the earthquake and fire of 1906, which visited San Francisco. Mrs. Elkers was on the California State Red Cross Board from 1898 to 1904, and she is a charter member of the Saturday Club, 1893, one of the largest musical clubs in the United States, having a membership of fourteen hundred. She has done active musical work (piano), and has served on its board since 1894, and was president of the same from 1901 to 1905; honorary president since 1907. Assisted in starting four other musical clubs—Pacific Musical Society of San Francisco, Fresno Musical Club, Auburn and Berkeley, and is honorary member of the two