What was going on when I was born?

INTERNATIONAL Israel could not join a cease-fire in Lebanon as long as Palestinian groups continue their attacks on Israel. Prime Minister Menachem Begin reportedly told Philip C. Habib, the American special envoy in the Middle East. Israeli officials said Mr. Begin told Mr. Habib during the course of two meetings that a halt in the fighting was not a solution to the more basic problem of a Palestinian Liberation Organization arms buildup within striking distance of Israel's northern settlements. He reportedly stressed that Israel could agree to a cease-fire only the context of a border peace arrangement. (Page A1, Column 6) Shipment of more U.S. jets to Israel would be affected by Israel's cooperation in reducing the level of violence in Lebanon, Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig said in a television interview. (A3:3-6.)

The announcement of a comprehensive immigration policy, delayed by disagreements among President Reagan's advisers, is expected this week. But the plan may not include a suggested national identity card. The announcement is likely, according to Administration officials, to contain other elements recommended by an 11-member advisory committee headed by Attorney General William French Smith. But the officials said that some disputed elements of the report have been diluted.

Assembly Speaker Stanley Fink ruled out yesterday any state commitment to pick up all extra costs for the proposed Westway highway project that might be left by shortfalls in Federal aid. Mayor Koch has said the state must make such a commitment before he would agree to the project. Mr. Koch has been negotiating with Governor Carey, but Mr. Fink, a Brooklyn Democrat, and a spokesman for the state's top Republican leader, Senator Warren M. Anderson, made it clear that the Legislature would not back the Governor in such a promise. The Federal Government has said it could provide $1.6 billion for the Westway, but a key issue in the debate over the highway project has been who would cover Federal aid cuts or cost overruns. Mayor Koch, responding through a spokesman to Mr. Fink's remarks, said: ''I am weighing all of the factors that will go into my final decision. And, of course, that statement will have to be included.''

It is Long Island's most exclusive and perhaps least-known summer colony. It has no name and if you don't already belong, you can't join: The membership books were closed in 1964. But don't look for brooding mansions and gatehouses, vintage automobiles and golf greens. This colony on the water -and occasionally in the water - consists of cottages that once were shacks, built in some cases before World War I and occupying a maze of muddy marsh flats in the Hempstead Bay wetlands.

DANVERS, Mass. THE most acclaimed hockey player the United States has produced wears a Gregory's Deli jersey as he skates against Moynihan Lumber. Outside the Town Line Twin Rinks on Route 114, it is a steamy July evening. But inside it is cold, and the men from the town wear the warmup jackets of their youth as they join Sgt. Bob Carpenter of the Peabody police force watching his son, Bob Jr. It is a scene that has gone on here for more than 10 years. It will not go on much longer. Young Carpenter, who turned 18 years old last week, has graduated from high school and has signed a letter of intent to attend Providence College, which is perhaps one top player from capturing the national collegiate hockey championship. But Carpenter also was the third pick last month of the entire National Hockey League draft, plucked under surprising circumstances by the Washington Capitals; no other American player was ever chosen higher on the first round - and no other high school skater from the United States was ever picked in that round.

President Reagan arrived here this afternoon to work out economic and political differences with the leaders of six other industrial democracies and almost immediately had to fend off attacks on high American interest rates from two of his strongest European critics. With no fanfare or ceremony, a helicopter took Mr. Reagan from Ottawa airport to the secluded and heavily guarded resort lodge of Montebello, where shortly after being greeted by Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau of Canada, he held separate meetings with Chancellor Helmut Schmidt of West Germany and President Francois Mitterrand of France. Interest Rates the No.1 Topic Both Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Mitterrand wasted no time in criticizing the high American interest rates in what Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig Jr. described to reporters later as ''lengthy discussions on economics'' with the American President. The President indicated that the inflation rate in the United States was falling, and thus there was hope that interest rates would also drop soon. Mr. Reagan said the high rates did not represent American policy but were inherent in the economic situation.

Prime Minister Menachem Begin met yesterday with President Reagan's special Middle East envoy, Philip C. Habib, and reportedly told him that Israel could not agree to a cease-fire in Lebanon as long as Palestinian groups continued to launch attacks across the border into Israel. Their talks came on the 10th consecutive day of fighting between Israeli and Palestinian forces in and around southern Lebanon. Mr. Begin, according to Israeli officials, told the American envoy during two meetings yesterday that a halt in the fighting was not a solution to the more basic problem of a Palestine Liberation Organization arms buildup within striking distance of Israel's northern settlements. Broader Agreement Stressed He reportedly stressed to Mr. Habib that Israel could agree to a cease-fire only in the context of a broader peace arrangement, involving some Lebanese and Syrian efforts to restrain the P.L.O. Israeli ground troops attacked guerrilla positions last night east of the Zahrani estuary, according to an Israeli military communique. Six Israeli soldiers were wounded, an unknown number of guerrillas were killed and Palestinian military positions were destroyed, the communique said. The commando force returned to Israeli territory after the operation, an army spokesman said.

''We must decisively state, if the situation will require it, authorities will execute their constitutional obligation to save the state from disintegration and the nation from catastrophe.'' - Wojciech Jaruzelski, Prime Minister of Poland. (A4:4.)

Around the World A2 Blood feud flourishes in Brazil's back country A2 Soviet Union reacts warily to Kania's re-election in Poland A4 British authorities concerned about security for wedding A5 Irish officials said relations with Britain are severely strained A5 History of the site of the summit meeting A8 Government/Politics Assembly Speaker rules out state guarantees on Westway project B1 Study suggests return to trolleys on 42d St. in Manhattan B3 Budgets will be pinched again when sales tax rises Sept. 1 B3 Urban League's head sees danger to blacks in Reagan's policies B7 General Around the Nation A6 Japanese-Americans of Hood River Valley recall prejudice A6 Pleasure boat owners venture out seldom A6 Searchers for Titanic leave site and head for port A10 Relatives and neighbors among most affected by hotel disaster A10 Haitian refugees are moved from Miami to Brooklyn A18 A mock military battle is fought in Fort Drum, N.Y. B1 An era is ending for Hempstead Bay Colony on Long Island B1 Surveys find increasing awareness of drug-abuse hazards B2 A 19-year-old recalls his experience with drugs B2 The Region B2 Convicted bank robber sought in stabbing B3 Columbia's radio station lost its signal B3 S.I. parents voice concern as hunt goes on for girl, 7 B3 The City B5 SportsMonday Baseball: Year's extension of basic agreement urged C10 Boxing: Michael Spinks finds a new world opening for him C3 Columns: Dave Anderson on Bill Rogers, a clone no longer C1 Red Smith on the pass the Yankees rescinded C10 Cycling: Hinault wins title in Tour de France C12 Features: Sports World Specials C2 Corporate relay event becoming more and more competitive C7 Football: Jet rookies face uncertainty C4 Giants' Kotar says knee he hurt last year feels fine C4 Golf: Donna Caponi wins L.P.G.A. tournament by two shots C9 Hockey: Bobby Carpenter, at 18, must decide on college or pros C1 Horse Racing: Rise Jim beats Proud Appeal at Belmont C4 Outdoors: Agility, patience and a net are essentials in crabbing C11 Soccer: Sounders tie Cosmos, win cup on total goals C3 Sports News Briefs C11 Statistics C12 Tennis: Mrs. Lloyd wins and U.S. retains Wightman Cup C12 Borg defeats Lendl in Stuttgart final C12 Industry/Labor Approximately 18,000 state workers may strike in Minnesota A7 Arts/Entertainment Bellezza dances Romeo with La Scala Ballet C13 The age of book packagers has arrived C13 Spanish-language versions of two big movies issued C13 Tanglewood Festival stages a version of "Boris Godunov" C14 Bella Lewitsky Dance Company at Pepsico Summerfare '81 C15 Golde and Tevye recall "Fiddler" down the years C16 Novels by Helen Yglesias and Doris Grumbach are reviewed C16 Foes of cuts in arts plan next step C16 Van Halen, rock group, performs at Garden C17 Features/Notes Man in the News: Stanislaw Kania, Polish party leader A4 Notes on People B8 Going Out Guide C14 Style Relationships: Job loss, an ordeal at home B4 Counseling for people who plan to adopt B4 Lazy summer days for the junior carriage trade B4 That fresh divorce decree: Is it final? B4 Obituaries William Presser, teamsters' leader B7 News Analysis Drew Middleton assesses Syria's military strength A3 Hedrick Smith examines differences among world leaders A9 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A16 Thrifts need no handout Forward retreat on El Salvador Oh happy day Roger Starr: a dream dies Letters A16 Flora Lewis:talking to Moscow A17 Harry Rositzke: confusion over terrorism A17 Thomas C. Chalmers: medical student loans A17

Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski told Poland's emergency Communist Party congress today that the price of food, coal, natural gas and housing would have to be increased 110 percent and that wage increases would have to end. Coming after the congress's five days of heady experimentation with democracy, General Jaruzelski's speech, which included wide ranging remarks on the state of the nation, was a sobering and harsh reminder that the Government's primary task now was to consider the country's quickening economic, social and political crisis. The Prime Minister's speech also came a day after Stanislaw Kania's decisive re-election as the party First Secretary and on the day that a new, politically balanced Politburo was named. General Jaruzelski, dressed in full military uniform, read out a list of stark realities confronting the nation: threatened strikes, growing consumer shortages, crumbling law and order, declining production.

A group of conservative Salvadoran business leaders, encouraged by what they say are clear signs of support from the Reagan Administration, have intensified a long-running campaign to change the makeup of the Government of President Jose Napoleon Duarte. The business leaders said they wanted to name at least one additional member of the ruling junta and several Cabinet ministers. The civilian-military junta headed by Mr. Duarte now consists of four members. The businessmen, who include corporate executives, hotel and resort owners and the president of El Salvador's Chamber of Commerce, said the clearest signal for their effort had come in a speech in Washington last week by the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, Thomas O. Enders.

The Steve Miller Orchestra was playing Duke Ellington's ''Satin Doll,'' a cool jazz tune that for all its smoothness will support a moderate jitterbug or Lindy at the medium swing tempo being laid down by Mr. Miller as bandleader. In the lobby and on the aerial walkways of the flashy, year-old Hyatt Regency Hotel two nights ago, men in tuxedos and women in elegant gowns were dancing or just keeping time to the resurrected big-band sound. Later, some who had been there said that the walkways, suspended from the ceiling of the cavernous lobby atrium by one-and-a-halfinch-thick steel rods, swayed with the people's movement. Witnesses told rescuers, as recounted by Harold Knabe, a spokesman for the Kansas City Fire Department, that one walk ''got to swaying and bouncing up and down.'' The movement was not dramatic, Mr. Knabe said witnesses told him, but more a soft undulation. Suddenly, the topmost walkway, about four stories up, tore loose from the suspension rods and came crashing down on another, two levels below. Both fell to the lobby floor on top of dancers and spectators, crushing hundreds of people. The death toll in the accident rose to 113 today after two persons died at area hospitals.Another 186 were injured, in one of the worst hotel catastrophes in American history.