CHARU SURI is a highly regarded pianist and composer who treads fearlessly between genres, blending several styles and fusing Indian ragas with more traditional jazz. Born in South India, she was a piano prodigy performing in various concert halls at an early age. Charu's most recent album, RAGS & RAGAS, was recorded with John Patitucci on the double bass, Steve Gadd and Joe Lastie on the drums, and debuted recently at #3 on the iTunes jazz charts, and reached #2 in Kenya. Her previous albums charted #1 in India in both the jazz and overall albums charts. With mood-invoking ragas (to be played according to the time of day) for many of her compositions, she weaves techniques and sounds from several places including India, Europe, and Africa. Presented as part of The Betsy Jazz Series with support from Jorge Perez Family Foundation creARTE.

Yaakov Katz is the for­mer edi­tor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post. He writes for Newsweek and The Jew­ish Chron­i­cle, hosts the JPPI week­ly pod­cast and has appeared on CNN and BBC. He is the author of Shad­ow Strike and the co-author with Amir Bohbot of Weapon Wiz­ards. Presented in partnership with Miami Beach JCC and Jewish Book Council.

Lisa Rhoades is the author of three collections of poetry, The Long Grass, (Saint Julian Press), Strange Gravity, (Bright Hill Press) and the forthcoming Central to the Task. A former poetry fellow at the Creative Writing Institute at the University of Wisconsin, she holds MFAs in writing from Columbia University and LSU. Her poems recently have appeared or are forthcoming widely, including at Rust+Moth, Rogue Agent, Pirene’s Fountain, Permafrost, Windhover, Barrow Street, and The Southern Review. She currently works as a pediatric nurse in New York City where she lives with her spouse and their children.