Although researchers have long recognized the multidimensional nature of Jewish life (e.g., Hartman in Studies in Contemporary Jewry, Oxford University Press, New York, 2014; Himmelfarb in Understanding American Jewry, Brandeis University, Waltham, 1982), most sociodemographic studies examine Jewish behaviors and attitudes in isolation rather than considering their complex interactions. Examining each of these behaviors and dimensions separately provides only limited understanding of the meaning and enactment of Jewish identity. The present study presents a statistical method to understand the patterns of Jewish engagement across multiple dimensions. Based on data from a survey of the Greater Boston Jewish community, latent class analysis was used to combine 14 behavioral measures into a typology of Jewish engagement. The results were a "partially ordered" set of 5 classes representing distinct behavior patterns. Three of the classes followed a low-to-high continuum. Two classes did not follow this order and represented distinct but parallel patterns of engagement. Most notably, the study identified a category of Cultural Jews who do not regularly practice Jewish rituals or affiliate with synagogues but do feel strong connections to the Jewish community. A simple continuum of Jewish identity disguises the multidimensional nature of engagement and provides too simplistic a tool for policymakers. This approach suggests not only a new method of measuring Jewish engagement, but, more importantly, a new way to understand contemporary Jewish identity.

Eleven surgically excised left atrial myxomas have been stained for factor VIII related antigen (VIII-RA) and actin by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique. Most tumour cells were negative for VIII-RA. However a population was identified forming cords and vascular channels which possessed a core or lining of tumour cells with an endothelial morphology which were positive. Tumour cells lining vessel-like invaginations of the surface also showed focal positive staining. The staining pattern for actin precisely mirrored that for VIII-RA. These findings support the established theory that cardiac myxomas arise from primitive endocardial or subendocardial mesenchymal cells with the potential to differentiate towards endothelial cells. They are incompatible with the theory that these tumours originate from cardiac endothelium.

Jews are a small proportion of the overall population and local community surveys are inherently challenging to conduct. Until recently, primary sample random digit dialing (RDD) surveys have been the preferred approach. But the proliferation of cellphones and declining response rates make RDD extremely expensive. The result is that communities who use RDD end up relying on small and/or biased samples. To overcome these challenges, the authors have developed a multi-method approach. It relies on cross-survey synthesis of extant RDD survey data that yields, along with significant cost savings, a more comprehensive sample. The approach also utilizes a broad list-based sample that goes beyond local federation lists and includes multiple other organizations. To maximize response rates, surveys are fielded both by phone and email. Finally, to correct for sample bias, adjustments are made using census-like data on organizational memberships and enrollments. In a series of four local Jewish community studies, the use of multiple methods has produced results that can be cross-validated against known data about the local Jewish community and known information that describes the local community context. Responding to the challenges posed by local Jewish community studies requires being transparent about the strengths and weaknesses of the methods used, while being responsive to the questions posed by communal sponsors.

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