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Yom Kippur Memories of an Israeli by Shimon Alexander Aliyah Shaliach, Southern Region A foreigner who comes to stay in a different country, a stranger who travels the world, always keeps memories from his homeland. An Israeli who stays among his fellow Jews in the diaspora will always keep his Israeli identity, his differ ent experiences and memories. Wherever he goes, whatever he does, he still uses his past to com pare, to balance, or to learn a les son. For many—maybe too many— Israelis, there is a different attitude toward Yom Kippur. There are other memories and aspects of that special day. For years, since 1973,1 would look up to the sky to be sure it was clear, and open my ears to be sure I didn’t hear any thunder during Yom Kippur. It was during the break between Musaf and Mincha, while 1 rested in my house, in my kibbutz, that suddenly, without any warning, a few Syrian planes flew overhead from South to North using their machine guns and their bombs. It was a surprise to hear jets flying above us during Yom Kippur, but since we are a border kibbutz, it wasn’t unusual. Even their direc tion and elevation were as usual, but the sound of their engines was different, and together with the guns roaring, it was scary. Nobody ran to the bomb shelter because there was no siren. Ev erybody went to see what hap pened outside, to see what kind of planes they were. In all my life in the Upper Galilee, I never remembered seeing so many Syrian jets in the sky with no Israeli planes to fight back. Because of the holiness of Yom Kippur there were no radio broad casts from Jerusalem, so we had to turn our radio to the BBC and there we heard reports about what we had just witnessed. The Egyp tian and Syrian armies had started a war against Israel during its holi est day, during the day of judg ment! And so, during Musaf and Mincha the state of Israel was under attack from all sides while we were still preparing for Hafta- rot Yona! Nobody expected it, nobody was ready for it. All we knew was that we were in an emergency situation and we had to be prepared for the worst. And still there were no Israeli fighters in the sky—just occasionally Syrian MIGs and a lot of smoke covering the Golan Heights, followed by the roar of shelling. In those days I was the job coor dinator of the kibbutz. Together with some of my colleagues who held positions in the kibbutz man agement, we discussed the situa tion without having any basic for mal or official information. The kids and other residents were al ready underground in shelters and we had to decide how to deal with the encroaching war and what would happen when the reserves went to their bases. At 10 p.m., as I was waiting by the main road for a vehicle to take me to my camp, 1 had a chance to break the fast. Meanwhile, Syrian troops pene trated our lines on their way to destroy and conquer the north part of Israel. I knew by that time our troops were retaliating but the bombs were falling closer and 1 could clearly see the fire even before 1 heard the sound. It was one of the most difficult battles in the history of the state of Israel, and after two and a half days of struggle, our armored unit was able to stop the Syrian troops, and later, to con quer part of the Golan by the main road to Damascus. Since then, every Yom Kippur that I’m out of our synagogue, I look up to the blue sky, toward the Golan Heights, to be sure there is no danger, no cause for a war. And then, the next day, in every mil itary cemetery in Israel there is a memorial service for the thousands of young soldiers who gave their lives on the altar of the independ ence and freedom of the state of Israel. This Yom Kippur, as last, I won’t look up at the sky; I won’t hear the sound of warning; but I 7)X>/6 7)jCf 5747 Margie Okun • Roberta Scher and Family 451-9611 5235 Buford Highway • Doraville, Ga. 30340 Pinetree Shopping Center will carry in my memory the days of ash and smoke, and the spirit of some of my best friends who stopped the enemy with their bodies. The meaning of Yom Kippur has changed for us, in Israel, as well as the term “judgment day,” since October 1973. Wishing you a Happy & Healthy New Year RENEE FELDMAN SAUL FELDMAN FRAN LANDAU DAVE LANDAU 3515 Northside Pkwy. NW/Atlanta, GA 30327/(404)261-4737 Best Wishes for a Safe & Happy New Year East Cobb Minor Emergency Center The only accredited minor emergency center in the state Providing Treatment for Minor Emergencies, Routine Medical Problems & Sports Injuries • No appointment necessary • Qualified physician in center at all times Open 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. Every Day 1230 Johnson Ferry Rd. Marietta 971-3900 A Accredited by Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. Peter W. Bossak, M.D. Medical Director PAGE 19 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE October 10, 1986