Byline: Bronislaus B. Kush

At sunset, Jews around the world will begin their observance of Yom Kippur, a solemn day marked by prayer, fasting, and repentance for misdeeds of the past year.

Many will also pause to reflect upon the deep emotional scars inflicted upon some Jews

"The 1973 Yom Kippur War was a tremendously traumatic event for Jews," said Alan J. Avery-Peck, the Kraft-Hiatt professor of Judaism and chairman of the Religious Studies Department at the College of the Holy Cross. "The attack revealed the fragility of Israel. Jews everywhere were stunned."

On Oct. 6, 1973, an Arab coalition led by Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel. Like other Jews around the globe, the Israelis were celebrating Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

The Israeli defense forces were caught off guard.

For example, the 180 Israeli tanks stationed on the Golan Heights faced an onslaught of 1,400 Syrian tanks while the 450 Israeli troops deployed along the Suez Canal found themselves within the cross hairs of 80,000 Egyptian troops.

The Egyptians and Syrians easily crossed cease-fire lines drawn in the Sinai and the Golan Heights, which had been captured by Israel during the Six Day War in 1967.

The Arab forces made significant incursions before Israel and within a couple of days mobilized its reserves, repulsed the invaders, and turned the tables - carrying the fight deep into Egyptian and Syrian territory.

The conflict - also referred to as the October War or the Ramadan War - raged through Oct. 26 when a United Nations-negotiated cease fire was finally imposed.

Though the Israelis, at great odds, emerged victorious, many academics and historians believe the conflict significantly altered the Jewish psyche.

"I remember thinking, `Wow, we really dodged a bullet,'" said Jonathan Silverman, a graphics designer from Worcester. "At Shabbat services later on, everybody was expressing relief that the Israeli forces managed to turn things around. Had Egypt and Syria prevailed, there would be no Israel. I don't know what that would have meant for Judaism."

Mr. Avery-Peck, who as a student was living on a kibbutz in Israel in 1973, said the quick strike by Arab forces shattered "the invincibility" that many Jews felt following the Six Day War.

"Syria and Egypt lost, but, given their (military) successes over the first couple of days, they saved face. Unlike the 1967 war, they showed they could put up a pretty good fight," said Mr. Avery-Peck. "For many Jews, Israel was the loser, even in victory. There were nagging questions about what had happened. People were asking what could have been done differently that would have prevented the attack. In Israel, every small misstep is magnified."

Many believe the initial military gains by the coalition deflected attention from a host of problems, including President Anwar Sadat's unpopularity in Egypt and the serious economic problems plaguing the Arab countries in the region.

They added that the outcome of the 1973 war triggered serious peace negotiations. Soon after, the Camp David Accords would be struck, ushering in peace between Egypt and Israel.

Douglas Little, a professor in the History Department at Clark University, said the 1973 conflict is still very much on the minds of Israelis.

Mr. Little, who is affiliated with Clark's Peace Studies program and who is researching U.S. responses to radical Islam between the Six Day War and the 1979 revolution in Iran, said the Middle East is still a powder keg, though the dynamics have changed.

Mr. Little, for example, noted that the Cold War is over and Middle Eastern nations are no longer pawns in global games involving the superpowers.

Though Israel has a firm grasp of its national security issues, he said, there is a growing sense among Jews that the nagging Palestinian issue must be settled.

Mr. Little, author of "American Orientalism: The United States and the Middle East Since 1945," said most Israelis are moderates, pragmatic about international issues. He noted that two-thirds of Israelis want a resolution to the Palestinian question.

Still, Mr. Little warned that Israelis are very sensitive about their security and Israeli leaders might launch a pre-emptive strike if they felt there was a serious outside threat.

"There's no question that the initial successes by the Egyptians and Syrians in 1973 shook the Israelis," he said.

ART: PHOTO

PHOTOG: T&G Staff/CHRIS CHRISTO

CUTLINE: Students of Yeshiva Academy pray at the Torah ark for any person in the community who is ill, asking God to grant each one a speedy recovery. Praying yesterday, from left, are Itta Gurkow, Mussia Fogelman, Shterna Kimelman, Kayla Nouriel, Tamar Aharon, Sarah Mielta, Rabbi Michoel Phillips, Chaim Anina, Chaim Gaval, Micah Bergman and Mendel Green.